The Mystics Reading List

[Daniel]

A friend recently sent me this reading list of Christian mystics and contemplatives. Please add it if you would like.


2nd Century
Athanasius: “Life of Anthony of Egypt” & “Life of Paul of Thebes” (though written in the 4th century, it pertains to the life of Anthony who lived in the 2nd century)
Sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers

4th Century
John Cassian: Conferences
Augustine: Confessions

6th Century
Benedict of Nursia: Rule of St. Benedict
Pseudo-Dionysius: Mystica Theological
John Climacus: Ladder of Divine Assent

11th Century
Bernard of Clairvaux: On the Song of Songs
Hildegard of Bingen: Scivias

12 Century
Aelred of Rievaulx: Mirror of Charity
Francis of Assisi: Little Flowers of St. Francis / Rule
Clare of Assisi: Rule of Clare of Assisi

13th Century
Mechtild of Magdeburg: The Flowing Light of the Godhead
John of Ruysbroeck: The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage
Meister Eckhart: Various Sermons
Gregory Palamas: Triads

14th Century
Walter Hilton: Scale (or Ladder) of Perfection
Julian of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love
Margery Kempe: The Book of Margery Kempe
Anonymous Author: The Cloud of Unknowing
Catherine of Siena: Dialogues

16th Century
Teresa of Avila: Life ; Interior Castle
John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel
Frances de Sales: Introduction to the Devout Life


17th Century
Brother Lawrence: Practice of the Presence of God
Blaise Pascal: Pensees
George Fox: Journal of George Fox
Madame Guyon: A Short and Easy Method of Prayer
William Law: A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life

18th Century
St. Seraphim of Sarov: On Acquisition of the Holy Spirit

19th Century
William Ralph Inge: Christian Mysticism
Therese of Lisieux: Story of a Soul
T.S. Eliot – Various Poems

20th Century
Evelyn Underhill: The Golden Sequence
Bede Griffiths: The Golden String, Return to the Centre
Simone Weil: Gravity and Grace
Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein): The Hidden Life
Dorothy Day: The Longest Journey
Thomas Merton: Seven Story Mountain, Conjecture of a Guilty Bystander
Hans Urs Von Balthasar: Psachale Mysterium The Glory of the Lord
Henry Nouwen: Inner Voice of Love
Thomas Keating: Open Mind, Open Heart
Kathleen Norris: Cloister Walk

21st Century
Wayne Teasadale: The Mystic Heart
Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Come Be My Light

[Poetic Awakening]

Reading list? That's more like a small library.lol Christian mysticism is a very interesting field of study, though. Wish I had a better library around, I'd make use of it.

[Zerbie]

Hella fellas, and ladies,

(Moving this discussion out of the foyer into the realms of visibility),
have any of you checked out this, and would you recommend it?

I found this while following up on Andy's recommendation of St John Cross.
Anyone read it?

http://books.google.com/books?id=SE8TjqynNAAC&dq=dark+night+of+the+soul&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=LZrAnArTk5&sig=Vh99n-8sp8IYx0JFH6LjFLtnUM4&hl=en&ei=NSmgSrKSKIKsswONoImNDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[Gennee]

Thanks for the list, Daniel. At present, I'm reading about women mystics during the Medieval Age. here's the name of the book.


Visions and Longings
Medieval Women Mystics by Monica Furlong

Teresa of Avila is one of my favorite mystics.

Gennee
:reading:

[Zerbie]

Got "Cloud of Unknowing" AND John's "Dark Night", both of 'em, this afternoon.

:):reading:

[Zerbie]

Anyone here read Teilhard de Chardin? I had heard the name on occasion and was of the mistaken impression he was a writer of fiction. Oops.

Would you classify his works as belonging on this reading list?

Further - for one interested in taking a first look, what works would you recommend?

Thanks!

[BruceChris]

de Chardin developed a philosophy of the evolution of universe that probably would not sit well with Creationists, and wrote some things that upset the Vatican, so they would not let him publish during his lifetime. In other words, he comes highly recommended by the Catholic Church.

What I have found inspirational in my life is the reading of feminist theology. Yeah, there's a lot of it out there, if you do a little digging. I was introduced to this when I first read a book by Carter Heyward, she's great. One of the first 11 womanpriests ordained into the Episcopalian church, back in 1974. And, she's written 15 or so other books. She was a professor of theology at some Ivy League school the last time I looked. I know that I have read 30 or 40 of such books, or similar, over time.

Another is Christine M. Smith, a real fire and brimstone preacher, but in her heart she is coming from a place of love, not judgment.

They're both lesbians, not uncommon in this calling.

There's Elizabeth Johnson, she's a just a damn good read. And if you search the bibliographies, you'll find dozens of others. And they all agree on one thing: The patriarchal church has GOT to go.

I tend to think of mystical things as things that inspire me, which is why I make the association, and so the recommendation.

Any thoughts, udog?

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris