Mystical Theology

[mortify]

Can anyone recommend a good introductory book on Mystical theology, or Catholic Mysticism in general?

[the lords sheep]

A Fire within by Fr. Thomas Dubay is great: it examines the mysticism of two of the Churches greatest mystics, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.
Once you read Dubay's book, move onto the mystics themselves. Their works are incredible, and often take a fair amount of prayer (and even work with a Spiritual Director) to get through. [i]And[/i] even then, you won't understand everything (which is what's so great!) because mysticism is not about understanding but about encountering God.

Edit: I can also recommend a good semester course offered in Queens on Christian Spirituality and Mysticism if you're interested. It'd be worth your commute. I promise you.

Edited May 26, 2009 by the lords sheep

[TeresaBenedicta]

Anything by McGinn, but I would recommend this. It gives a great introduction and history of mysticism, beginning with Gregory the Great and going through the 12th Century Cistercian Mystics (Bernard of Clairvioux, William of Thiery, St. Aelred, etc).

[url="http://www.amazon.com/Growth-Mysticism-Gregory-Through-Presence/dp/0824516281"]http://www.amazon.com/Growth-Mysticism-Gre...e/dp/0824516281[/url]

If you're interested in the 12th Century Cistercian, I have many recommendations for books. LeClerq is a good secondary source.

This is a very good book on Carmalite mysticism, drawing heavily on Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.

[url="http://www.amazon.com/Want-See-God-Practical-Spirituality/dp/0870612239"]http://www.amazon.com/Want-See-God-Practic...y/dp/0870612239[/url]

[mortify]

Sure, I'd be interested in learning more about the course offered.

After completing Dubay's book, which mystic should I start with, in your opinion? John or Theresa?

[the lords sheep]

Teresa. She's a little bit more.... approachable. I love Teresa of Avila.

I would hesitate to recommend reading John of the Cross's "Dark Night of the Soul" without a Spiritual Director or someone to guide you through it.

Another great work is the "the Cloud of Unknowing." St. Catherine of Siena's "Dialogues" is a classic, as is St. Therese's "Story of a Soul" and Thomas Merton's "Seven Story Mountain".

Really though, examine where your heart is and do some research into some of the "mystical classics." There are some very beautiful, profound, and engaging works out there, but you need to find one that speaks to your heart, one that you can understand on some level so that it can bring you more deeply into God.

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='the lords sheep' post='1875134' date='May 25 2009, 08:13 PM']A Fire within by Fr. Thomas Dubay is great: it examines the mysticism of two of the Churches greatest mystics, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.[/quote]

Yes. Yes. Yes.

And...

[url="http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Life-Treatise-Ascetical-Mystical/dp/0895556596/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243298481&sr=8-1"]The Spiritual Life: A Treatise On Ascetical And Mystical Theology[/url] by Adolphe Tanquerey

[TotusTuusMaria]

[url="https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/66"]Mystical Evolution: In the Development and Vitality of the Church[/url] by Rev. John Arintero O.P.

Edit: "The Spiritual Life" is also published by TAN and can be bought from there. You can also find it in the ewtn library, but it is around 800 pages and you will certainly want to skip around and skip specifically to where he starts to speak of the beginning stages of the spiritual life and onward... yeah, you want the book.

Edited May 26, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria

[Innocent]

[quote name='TotusTuusMaria' post='1875182' date='May 26 2009, 07:13 AM']Yes. Yes. Yes.

And...

[url="http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Life-Treatise-Ascetical-Mystical/dp/0895556596/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243298481&sr=8-1"]The Spiritual Life: A Treatise On Ascetical And Mystical Theology[/url] by Adolphe Tanquerey[/quote]

Free Download: [url="http://www.archive.org/details/MN41530ucmf_5"]The Spiritual Life: A Treatise On Ascetical And Mystical Theology[/url]

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='Innocent' post='1875233' date='May 25 2009, 09:12 PM']Free Download: [url="http://www.archive.org/details/MN41530ucmf_5"]The Spiritual Life: A Treatise On Ascetical And Mystical Theology[/url][/quote]

if you are going to do the downloadable then he starts to introduce the reader to the three stages of the spiritual life on p. 297, 618.

[MithLuin]

[quote name='mortify' post='1875147' date='May 25 2009, 09:21 PM']Sure, I'd be interested in learning more about the course offered.

After completing Dubay's book, which mystic should I start with, in your opinion? John or Theresa?[/quote]

I started with St. John of the Cross, and later went on to Teresa of Avila, so I think you can approach them in either order. I would recommend "The Ascent of Mount Carmel" by St. John of the Cross and "The Interior Castle" by St. Teresa of Avila. Both of them have portions that will makes sense to beginners and portions that will be nearly incomprehensible to most people (though still worthwhile reading just for the experience).

If you would like the 'everyman' introduction to the writings of St. John of the Cross, you will get a taste of his work in [url="http://www.amazon.com/You-Set-Spirit-Free-Rekindling/dp/1556614810"]You Set My Spirit Free[/url] - a selection of short excerpts of his writing in fairly simple translations. It is not from a Catholic publisher, I don't think, but I like to recommend it because it is not a book [i]about[/i] the saint, but rather a book of the saint's own writings. It's meant for once-a-day Lenten readings. I have a strong preference for primary sources, when available.

[TeresaBenedicta]

I would advise you, if interested in mystical theology in general, not to necessarily stick with just Teresa and John. Don't get me wrong-- they're definitely classics and they're great. But there is whole plethora of Saints with a background in mystical theology that you really shouldn't miss. I know I mentioned the 12th century earlier, which was huge in mystical theology, with big names like St. Bernard of Clarvioux, St. Aelred, and St. Bonaventure. Go back even further you have folks like St. Gregory the Great, who had a deep mystical theology as well.

There's a great history to mystical theology that is beyond simply Teresa and John.

[kafka]

[quote name='TotusTuusMaria' post='1875182' date='May 25 2009, 08:43 PM']Yes. Yes. Yes.

And...

[url="http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Life-Treatise-Ascetical-Mystical/dp/0895556596/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243298481&sr=8-1"]The Spiritual Life: A Treatise On Ascetical And Mystical Theology[/url] by Adolphe Tanquerey[/quote]
you are familiar this book already?


I'm surprised no one has mentioned 'Seeds of Contemplation' by Thomas Merton as a good introduction. I've only perused the classic mystics, but I get the sense that Merton is a bit more straightforward in a modern context.

[mortify]

I'm a bit weary to read anything by Thomas Merton... didn't he encourage Buddhist like meditation?

[kafka]

[quote name='mortify' post='1875613' date='May 26 2009, 12:06 PM']I'm a bit weary to read anything by Thomas Merton... didn't he encourage Buddhist like meditation?[/quote]
not that I know of. I think he did some Buddhist studies toward the end of his life.

'Seeds of Contemplation' is one of the spiritual classics of the 20th century. He taught mystical theology at Gethsemani. Chapter One starts out with Contemplative prayer. The book is honest and straightforward. Not a lot of symbolism, or vagueness, plus he has a keen awareness of all the problems and obstacles a modern man is facing with regards to contemplation

For the most part I found the book very insightful.

[TotusTuusMaria]

[quote name='kafka' post='1875556' date='May 26 2009, 10:00 AM']you are familiar this book already?[/quote]

Yes.

My Godmother and I have been studying it for the past year... just reading it together and discussing things I don't quite understand. Everyone should have a copy. It is very easy to read and it just lays everything out there. I haven't ever encountered another book like it. My godmother was saying Mystical Evolution was very similar. She let me flip through her copy and look at it. It looks very interesting too. It also talks in detail about the three stages. I haven't had much experience with it though. I haven't read it, as I have Tanquerey.

And then the third one she recommended to me saying it was similar to those two is [url="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Ages-Interior-Life-Set/dp/0895556545"]The Three Ages of the Interior Life [/url] by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.

That book is "the summary of a course in ascetical and mystical theology given by Lagrange for over 20 years at the Angelicum in Rome." Lagrange taught Pope John Paul II.

You can read it online [url="http://www.christianperfection.info/"]here[/url]. You can also get it from [url="https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/562/category_id/15/"]TAN[/url]. They started publishing it again.

Edited May 26, 2009 by TotusTuusMaria