The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality

by Carl McColman

  I believe that William McNamara's vision of mysticism as defining all people is as true as Karl Rahner's assertion that in the future all Christians will be mystics. With these ideas in mind, we need to let go of the idea that some Christians are mystics while others are not; that the natural contemplatives get to enjoy union with God while others do not; that the worthy ones become deified while others do not. Both the teachings of Christianity and the wisdom of the mystics point to a spiritual reality beyond such dualistic thinking. All of Christ's lovers are, to some extent and on some level, "partakers of the divine nature." Most assuredly, some may enjoy the awareness of union with God, or the conscious presence of God, more fully or abundantly than others. But this is a difference of degree, not of kind. Perhaps those who never have any kind of spiritual "experience" at all are simply not mindful of the powerful, but hidden, action of the Spirit in their lives.

  We certainly know enough about the reality of the unconscious and subconscious dimensions of the human mind to recognize that God, in his limitless sovereignty, can easily pour divine love and gifts into us on a lessthan-conscious level. Perhaps if we want to learn about the mystery of theosis the mystery of the unitive life or, for that matter, any aspect of the Ultimate Mystery we need to inquire within.

  As contemplatives, we can turn to the great mystics of history for guidance: Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, The Cloud of Unknowing, John Ruusbroec, Thomas Merton, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and many others. And whether or not we can ever be as brilliant as these giants of the spiritual life, we can take advantage of the store of wisdom they have handed to us. Through lectio divina, silence, meditation, and prayer, we can allow that wisdom to shape us, form us, and nurture our temperament for the ultimate contemplative task: falling, and staying, in love with God. It lets us open our hearts to receive the vast and limitless love he has for us love that he is eager to pour into us, love that will fill us up and overflow from us to a world that so desperately needs it, and love that will rearrange our values, our ethics, and our sense of right and wrong so that we reorient our entire lives to the expression of grace and joy in ways both large and small.

  A FINAL THOUGHT

  There is a point in the Catholic Mass when the priest pours water into the wine that will be consecrated as the Blood of Christ. As he pours that water, he is instructed to inaudibly speak this blessing: "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity."" Because these words are inaudible, they are hidden from the average person participating in the Mass. But in these hidden words lie the heart of the Christian mystery. Christ, who is one with God, comes to us and shares his divinity with us.

  Psalm 82 contains this rather explosive verse: "You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you."We live in an age where plenty of people are willing to say "I am one with God," but these statements are tossed off in such a glib and cavalier way that it has become difficult to recognize just how awe-inspiring these statements really are.

  Christianity, as an institutionalized religion, insists on the truth of the transcendence of God. But in doing so, the religion has too often sent out another, less helpful message: God is God, and we are not. Christian mystics, by contrast, merrily aim to deconstruct the walls that separate the immanence of God from the divine transcendence. Of all the paradoxes that mysticism helps to bring together, this may be the most important of all. God is greater than the universe, and God is present, right here and right now, in you and me. We are partakers of the divine nature, and God will always remain as different from us as the ocean is different from a single drop of water.

  How do you sort this out and make it relevant to your daily spiritual practice?The answer is encoded in Psalm 82, where we are called "the children of the Most High." And Jesus said it even better: "Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3).

  If, in fact, the mystical life can be likened to a sacred, spiritual marriage between your soul and God, it is fitting that a child be born out of that union of love. This heavenly love child is born inside of you and is, in fact, a part of you the part who knows that you are a "god" and a child of the Most High, a child who, by knowing this, resides already in the unspeakable glories of heaven, right here, right now.

  Mysticism is, ultimately, simply the art of going to heaven before you die or, perhaps better said, the art of letting heaven emerge within you now. This doesn't take away your sins, or your pain and suffering, or your woundedness. Nor does it take away the brokenness of the world in which you live, and will continue to live on this side of eternity. But it does transform all these things. It empowers you to make God-infused choices and responses to all that life throws your way and to do it all with the lack of self-consciousness that characterizes every reasonably well-adjusted child. To be fully aware that you partake of the divine nature and to accept that simply and naturally is, perhaps, what you can hope to find at the end of your contemplative journey.

  And of course, the end will unfold into ever-new beginnings.

  Yes, of course you'll get back to Narnia again some day. Once a King in Narnia, always a King in Narnia. But don't go trying to use the same route twice. Indeed, don't try to get there at all. It'll happen when you're not looking for it. And don't talk too much about it even among yourselves. And don't mention it to anyone else unless you find that they've had adventures of the same sort themselves. What's that? How will you know? Oh, you'll know all right. Odd things, they say even their looks will let the secret out. Keep your eyes open.

  C. S. LEWIS ¢8

  APPENDIX A

  The Communion of Mystics

  One of the Christian teachings I love the most is the concept of the "communion of saints," which holds that Christians have a mystical bond in Christ that transcends time and space. In other words, those who have already died in Christ remain just as much a part of the Body of Christ as those who are now alive and striving to live a faithful life. One way they continue to speak to us is through written words they have left behind. The following is a list of what I call "the communion of mystics." These are the great contemplatives, visionaries, and mystics who continue to inspire us today.

  The list is by no means comprehensive, as it includes only those mystics who left behind writings. How many great mystics have been lost in the mists of time, simply because they never chose to commit their wisdom and their experiences to words on a page, we will never know. Some of the figures included here are controversial. Indeed, some, like Origen, Meister Eckhart, and Madame Guyon, have been denounced as heretics. And at least one person on my list C. S. Lewis specifically denied being a mystic.

  The list is chronological by each mystic's date of death. Anonymous works are listed by the approximate date the work was composed. The list ends with individuals from the twentieth century, including a few who are still alive as of this writing. Including these contemporary figures in a list of great Christian mystics may seem somewhat presumptuous. We have no way of knowing if writers like Rufus Jones or George F. Macleod will still be remembered 200 years from now, let alone regarded as key mystics. On the other hand, Simone Weil, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and Thomas Merton are already renowned as truly great mystics, and I am confident that their reputations will only grow in the future.

  I include these more recent figures because I think it's important to remember that mysticism is not just something that happened "way back then." For many people today, the work of living writers like Cynthia Bourgeault or Richard Rohr will be far more accessible and relevant than the arcane musings of Nicholas of Cusa or Jakob Bohme. I've tried to emphasize a wide and diverse selection of figures from our time and the recent past who are worthy exemplars of the contemplative life.

  The Apostle Paul (?-ca. 66)

  Author of much of the NewTestament, including The Second Letter to the Corinthians (in which he recounts an ecstatic experience
of being "caught up to the third heaven") and The Letter to the Philippians. Two of the most mystical of the New Testament writings, The Letter to the Ephesians and The Letter to the Colossians, may have been written by Paul, but may also have been written by one of his followers.

  John the Evangelist (?-ca. 100)

  Traditionally seen as the author of The Gospel ofJohn and the three Letters ofJohn.

  Titus Flavius Clemens (ca. 150-215)

  Known as Clement of Alexandria; author of An Exhortation to the Greeks and the Stromata ("Miscellanies").

  Origen Adamantius (ca. 185-253)

  Author of numerous works, including the Commentary of the Song of Songs and Homily XXVII on Numbers.

  The Desert Fathers and Mothers (third and fourth centuries)

  Rejected the urbane life of the Roman Empire for the austerity of a solitary life in the desert or the wilderness -a life given over to prayer, fasting, and continual seeking after the heart of God. Their wisdom can be found in collections of their stories, including The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, and The Lives of the Desert Fathers.

  Athanasius of Alexandria (ca. 296-373)

  Author of On the Incarnation and the Life of St. Antony.

  Ephrem the Syrian (ca. 306-373)

  Author of the Hymns on Paradise.

  Macarius of Egypt (ca. 300-390)

  One of the Desert Fathers, traditionally seen as the author of Fifty Spiritual Homilies.

  Gregory of Nyssa (ca. 330-395)

  Author of the Life of Moses.

  Evagrius Ponticus (345-399)

  Also a Desert Father; author of The Praktikos and Chapters on Prayer.

  Augustine of Hippo (ca. 354-430)

  Author of many philosophical and theological works, but his mysticism is seen most clearly in his Confessions.

  John Cassian (ca. 360-435)

  Wrote the Institutes and the Conferences, particularly Conferences 9 and 10 on prayer.

  Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (late fifth to early sixth centuries)

  Probably a Syrian monk; his work represents the culmination of the integration of Greek philosophy and Christian spirituality. Works include The Divine Names and The Mystical Theology.

  Benedict of Nursia (480-547)

  Author of The Rule of St. Benedict.

  Gregory the Great (ca. 540-604)

  Author of Dialogues, which include a biography of Benedict.

  John Climacus (ca. 525-606)

  Author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent.

  Maximus the Confessor (ca. 580-662)

  Author of The 400 Chapters on Love and The Church's Mystagogy.

  Isaac Cyrus (died ca. 700)

  Also known as Isaac the Syrian or Isaac of Nineveh; author of the Ascetical Homilies.

  Johannes Scotus Eriugena (ca. 815-877)

  Author of the Periphyseon and the Homily on the Prologue to the Gospel ofJohn.

  Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022)

  Also known as Symeon of Studion; author of the Practical and Theological Chapters and the Discourses.

  William of St.Thierry (ca. 1085-1148)

  Author of The Golden Epistle and On Contemplating God.

  Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

  Author of On Loving God and the Sermons on the Song of Songs.

  Elizabeth of Schonau (1129-1164)

  Author of the Three Books of Visions.

  Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167)

  Author of Spiritual Friendship and The Mirror of Charity.

  Richard of St. Victor (d. 1173)

  Author of On the Trinity and The Mystical Ark.

  Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

  Author of Scivias and The Book of Divine Works.

  Guigo II (died 1188)

  Author of The Ladder of Monks: A Letter on the Contemplative Life.

  Hadewijch of Antwerp (ca. 1150-1200)

  Poet and visionary whose writings have been published in English as the Collected Works.

  Giovanni Francesco Bernardone (ca. 1181-1226)

  Better known as Francis of Assisi; author of several short writings anthologized in Francis and Clare: The Complete Works.

  Clare of Assisi (1194-1253)

  Author of several short writings anthologized in Francis and Clare: The Complete Works.

  Beatrice of Nazareth (d. 1268)

  Author of The Seven Ways of Holy Love.

  Thomas Aquinas (ca. 1225-1274)

  Author of numerous works, most famously the Summa Theo- logica. The year before he died, he had a mystical vision after which he dismissed all of his brilliant theological writing as only so much straw.

  Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1221-1274)

  Author of The Soul's Journey to God.

  Albertus Magnus (1200-1280)

  Author of numerous works including the Commentary on Dionysius' Mystical Theology.

  Mechthild of Magdeburg (ca. 1210-1285)

  Author of The Flowing Light of the Godhead.

  Mechtilde of Hackeborn (1241-1299)

  Author of The Book of Special Grace.

  Gertrude of Helfta (1256-1302)

  Known as Gertrude the Great; author of The Herald of God's Loving Kindness.

  Jacopone daTodi (ca. 1230-1306)

  Author of the Lauds.

  Angela of Foligno (1248-1309)

  Author of The Book ofAngela of Foligno.

  Marguerite Porete (d. 1310)

  Author of The Mirror of Simple Souls.

  Ramon Lull (ca. 1232-1315)

  Author of The Book of the Lover and the Beloved.

  Johannes Eckhart von Hochheim (1260-1328)

  Known as Meister Eckhart; author of numerous o orks, including sermons in both German and Latin and treatises such as The Book of Divine Consolation.

  Richard Rolle (ca. 1300-1349)

  Author of The Fire of Love and The Mending of Life.

  Theologia Germanica (mid fourteenth century)

  Author unknown.

  Margaret Ebner (1291-1351)

  Author of The Revelations of Margaret Ebner.

  Christina Ebner (1277-1355)

  Author of The Diary of Christina Ebner. No relation to Margaret Ebner.

  Gregory Palamas (ca. 1296-1359)

  Author of The Triads.

  JohannesTauler (ca. 1300-1361)

  Known for his Sermons.

  Henry Suso (ca. 1296-1366)

  Author of The Exemplar.

  Birgitta Birgersdotter (1303-1373)

  Also known as Bridget of Sweden; author of The Revelations of Saint Birgitta.

  Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

  Author of The Dialogue.

  John Ruusbroec (1293-1381)

  Also known as Jan Ruusbroec or John Ruysbroeck; author of Spiritual Espousals and The Kingdom of the Lovers of God.

  Rulman Merswin (ca. 1307-1382)

  Author of The Book of the Nine Rocks.

  Geert Groote (1340-1384)

  Author of numerous works, some of which are anthologized in Devotio Moderna: Basic Writings (Ed. by J. van Engen).

  Walter Hilton (d. 1396)

  Author of The Scale of Perfection.

  The Cloud of Unknowing (late fourteenth century)

  Author unknown.

  Gerlac Peterson (1378-1411)

  Author of the Divine Soliloquies.

  Julian of Norwich (1342-ca. 1416)

  Author of Revelation of Love.

  Jean le Charlier de Gerson (1363-1429)

  Author of The Mountain of Contemplation.

  Margery Kempe (ca. 1373-1438)

  Author of The Book of Margery Kempe.

  Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464)

  Author of numerous works, including The Vision of God.

  Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471)

  Author of The Imitation of Christ.

  Denys of Rykel (1402-1471)

  Also known as Denis the Carthusian; author of The Fountain Of Light And The Paths Of Life and Contemplation.

  Nikolai Maikov (c
a. 1433-1508)

  Also known as Nil Sorsky; author of several short works published in English as his Complete Writings.

  Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)

  Author of Purgation and Purgatory and The Spiritual Dialogue.

  Francisco de Osuna (d. ca. 1540)

  Author of The Third Spiritual Alphabet.

  Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

  Author of The Spiritual Exercises.

  Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)

  Also known as Teresa of Jesus; author of numerous works, including The Life ofTeresa ofJesus, The Way of Perfection, and Interior Castle.

  Luis de Leon (1528-1591)

  Author of The Names of Christ.

  John of the Cross (1542-1591)

  Author of The Dark Night of the Soul, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Spiritual Canticle, and Living Flame of Love, as well as works of mystical poetry.

  Philip Neri (1515-1595)

  Author of the Maxims and Sayings.

  Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi (1566-1607)

  Author of Revelations and Knowledge.

  Lorenzo Scupoli (ca. 1530-1610)

  Author of Spiritual Combat.

  Francois de Sales (1567-1622)

  Author of An Introduction to the Devout Life.

  Jakob Bohme (1575-1624)

  or Jacob Boehme; author of The Way to Christ.

  George Herbert (1593-1633)

  Author of The Temple; renowned for his mystical poetry.

  Gertrude More (1606-1633)

  Author of The Inner Life.

  Augustine Baker (1575-1641)

  Author of Holy Wisdom.

  Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

  Author of Pensees.

  JeremyTaylor (1613-1667)

  Author of The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living.

  Marie Guyart Martin (1599-1672)

  Also known as Marie of the Incarnation; author of the Relation (autobiography).

  Thomas Traherne (ca. 1636-1674)

  Visionary poet and the author of Centuries.

  Johann Scheffler (1624-1677)

  Also known as Angelus Silesius; author of The Cherubinic Wanderer.

  Benjamin Whichcote (1609-1683)

  Author of Our Conversation is in Heaven.

  Henry More (1614-1687)

  Author of An Explanation of the Divine Mystery of Godliness.

  George Fox (1624-1691)