Mystic and Pilgrim


Book Description

A biography of the medieval English religious pilgrim Margery Kempe and a social and cultural history of her world.




Mary Ward


Book Description

This is the first paperback edition of the standard biography of Mary Ward.Mary Ward founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the 17th Century, an order devoted to the education of women so they could play their part in the Church and the World. Her view and aims were revolutionary in their time and a whole of network of Catholic schools remain in place today run by members of Mary Ward`s order.Mary Ward was born in 1585. She listened to the call of God at a time when the Church was reluctant to accept that God would speak directly to a woman, and died in obscurity in 1645.At a time when the IBVM is, like many religious orders, struggling to redefine its purpose in the modern world, and at a time when Mary Ward may herself be canonised by the present Pope, this book is quite exceptionally important.




Margery Kempe


Book Description

A fresh account of the medieval mystic, traveling pilgrim, and pioneering memoirist Margery Kempe. This is a new account of the medieval mystic and pilgrim Margery Kempe. Kempe, who had fourteen children, traveled all over Europe and recorded a series of unusual events and religious visions in her work The Book of Margery Kempe, which is often called the first autobiography in the English language. Anthony Bale charts Kempe’s life and tells her story through the places, relationships, objects, and experiences that influenced her. Extensive quotations from Kempe’s Book accompany generous illustrations, giving a fascinating insight into the life of a medieval woman. Margery Kempe is situated within the religious controversies of her time, and her religious visions and later years put in context. And lastly, Bale tells the extraordinary story of the rediscovery, in the 1930s, of the unique manuscript of her autobiography.




From Hero to Servant to Mystic


Book Description

From Hero to Servant to Mystic addresses both the initial and ongoing formation of priests by tracing three significant stages in how their spiritual lives unfold. Fr. Scott Detisch offers seminarians, priests, spiritual directors, and clergy personnel directors a way of understanding the whole gamut of spiritual growth and development in priests by focusing on three major clusters of energies within men—the Hero, the Servant, and the Mystic. By recognizing the difficulties that may arise within the inner life and outer world of a priest, Detisch offers helpful methods for navigating through those challenging periods. By applying these energies to their spiritual lives, priests will experience a different form of relationship with the person of Christ—the Hero, who offers his life for Christ; the Servant, who ministers with Christ; and the Mystic, who lives his life in Christ.




The Book of Margery Kempe


Book Description

The story of the eventful and controversial life of Margery Kempe - wife, mother, businesswoman, pilgrim and visionary - is the earliest surviving autobiography in English. Here Kempe (c.1373-c.1440) recounts in vivid, unembarrassed detail the madness that followed the birth of the first of her fourteen children, the failure of her brewery business, her dramatic call to the spiritual life, her visions and uncontrollable tears, the struggle to convert her husband to a vow of chastity and her pilgrimages to Europe and the Holy Land. Margery Kempe could not read or write, and dictated her remarkable story late in life. It remains an extraordinary record of human faith and a portrait of a medieval woman of unforgettable character and courage.




The Oldest Vocation


Book Description

According to an old story, a woman concealed her sex and ruled as pope for a few years in the ninth century, but her downfall came when she went into labor in the streets of Rome. From this myth to the experiences of saints, nuns, and ordinary women, The Oldest Vocation brings to life both the richness and the troubling contradictions of Christian motherhood in medieval Europe.




Christian Mystics


Book Description

Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints and Sages celebrates the many types of mystics, visionaries, wisdom keepers, and non-dualists whose spiritual insight and perceptive teachings have illuminated the Christian tradition for the past two thousand years. Looking at 108 mystics from Biblical times to the present day, this user-friendly guide shows how the spiritual masters of the western tradition provide a variety of paths into the transforming heart of God. Everyone needs teachers and companions to guide and nurture us in developing rich interior lives -- as we seek to respond to the beatifying, deifying love of God. The mystics, whose legacy includes sublime poetry, fascinating autobiographies, and potentially life-changing teachings, can help anyone find greater love, purpose, and a deeper sense of God's presence. But the mystics are not a uniform bunch, which is why this book is such an essential guide to their lives, wisdom, and essential teachings. Carl McColman, author of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, organizes the mystics into nine categories: visionaries, confessors, lovers, poets, saints, heretics, wisdom keepers, soul-friends, and unitives. By profiling twelve examples of great mystics and spiritual teachers in each category, the book can help you to learn more about the mystics, and identify those whose writings will be most valuable to you as you pursue your own adventure of falling ever more deeply in love with God.All of the most famous Christian mystics are profiled here: figures like Teresa of çvila, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, John of the Cross, Evelyn Underhill, Thomas Merton, and anonymous masters like the authors of classics like The Cloud of Unknowing or The Way of a Pilgrim. But the book also will introduce you to many lesser known (but truly wonderful) mystical geniuses, such as Beatrice of Nazareth, Gregory of Narek, and Coventry Patmore. Nor does the book shy away from living (or recently living) mystics: visionaries such as Howard Thurman, Sara Grant, Kenneth Leech, and Bruno Barnhart are all included.This informative volume will appeal to those who buy religious reference books and anyone interested in Christian mysticism or western spirituality. But it's more than just a history book or an encyclopedia: Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints and Sages is a curated celebration of western spiritual wisdom, making it accessible for all seekers today.




Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages


Book Description

Organized chronologically, starting with Buddha and ending with contemporary seekers, this book focuses on the moment of enlightenment in the lives of saints and masters that led to their witnessing divine reality.




Illuminating the Way


Book Description

Popular author of eight books and abbess of the online retreat center Abbey of the Arts, Christine Valters Paintner explores how the lives and spirituality of twelve monks and mystics offer distinct patterns of thought that will lead you to a deeper understanding of your strengths and areas of growth and will guide you on the path to your true spiritual identity. In Illuminating the Way, Christine Valters Paintner takes you on a journey through your inner life accompanied by twelve great monks and mystics from the Christian tradition. Each figure invites you to discover the energy and potential of a particular archetype--the inner sage in Benedict; the inner visionary in Hildegard of Bingen; and the inner orphan in Dorothy Day. From the prophet Miriam of the Hebrew scriptures to twentieth century monk Thomas Merton, Paintner offers an array of challenging and enlivening models to explore. Paintner is beloved by readers for her creative practices, guided meditations, and beautiful prayers and poems, and she has included all of these elements in her new book to further explore the image associated with each mystic. Her insightful reflections on key selections of each mystic's writings will help you gain greater self-knowledge and experience a deeper encounter with God. Each chapter also includes a full-color painting of each monk or mystic by Marcy Hall with commentary by Paintner and scripture passages and mediations by Paintner's husband, John. Supplemental materials, including a CD with music, a DVD with movement prayers, and a book that includes images, poems, and music notations are available on Paintner's website AbbeyoftheArts.com.




The Mystic Christ


Book Description

"The Mystic Christ is an ancient tale of mystic union, salvation, and enlightenment. It is the careful uncovering of a lost treasure of immeasurable value, long buried in the suffocating darkness of conventional orthodoxy on one side, and blind fundamentalist extremism on the other. From the viewpoint of the world's mystical religious traditions, the brilliant light of the Master's way is revealed as a penetrating radical non-duality unifying all people and all of life. His path to this all-embracing unity is the spiritual practice of pure selfless love. Love God intensely, love our neighbor as our own Self, bless those that curse us, and pray for those that mistreat us. Love has been lost, becoming nothing more than a word in the dictionary and, yet, it remains the foundation of Jesus' message."