Anamchara • The Website of Unknowing

I hope this annotated “mystical bibliography” will be helpful to the student of mysticism as well as the practitioner of contemplative spirituality. Visit the Reviews page for a selection of more in-depth overviews of books on mysticism and related topics, and the Booklist page for a more comprehensive list of mysticism books (without annotations). New content is added to this list regularly, so keep coming back!

Christian Mysticism

• Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counseling, ed. by William Johnston (Image Books, 1973) — This fourteenth century classic of apophatic (imageless) spirituality stresses the need to love God beyond the limits of the rational mind; in our day it is one of the primary inspirations for the Centering Prayer movement.
• Anonymous, The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way (Image Books 1985) — These Russian spiritual classics recount the adventures of the anonymous, eponymous pilgrim, who discovers spiritual nurture and healing through continual recitation of the Jesus prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
• Karen Armstrong, Visions of God: Four Medieval Mystics and their Writings (Bantam Books, 1994) — Splendid introduction to four great 14th century English mystics: Richard Rolle, Julian of Norwich, Walter Hilton, and the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing. Armstrong’s lucid and balanced introductions for each mystic are matched by her fluid, accessible translations of excerpts from their writings.
• Frederick Bauerschmidt, Why the Mystics Matter Now (Sorin Books, 2003) — A brief and accessible introduction to mysticism and its relevance for today, focussing on seven mystics (including Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich and Thomas Merton) and describing how their ideas address issues like faith and doubt, social problems, and even care for the environment.
• Bernard of Clairvaux, Selected Works (Paulist Press, 1987) — This 12th-century monastic reformer not only became the great “mellifluous” voice of the emerging Cistercian Order, but also a champion for the veneration of Mary and devotion to the Love of God, and — alas — a chief advocate of the second crusade. This anthology gathers some of his most important spiritual writings.
• Michael Casey, Strangers to the City: Reflections on the Beliefs and Values of the Rule of St. Benedict (Paraclete Press, 2005) — A contemporary Australian Trappist monk offers his richly silence-steeped observations on how living under the Rule of St. Benedict can be a countercultural act in today’s world, challenging our priorities as it nurtures our faith.
• Catherine of Genoa, Purgation and Purgatory; the Spiritual Dialogue (Paulist Press, 1979) — The major works by the woman who is arguably the most significant western mystic of her time (the 15th century), and one of the few mystics (of any age or either gender) who was a married layperson. Catherine of Genoa’s reputation as an “A-list” mystic was solidified a century ago when Baron Von Hügel’s landmark study, The Mystical Element of Religion, focussed on her.
• Olivier Clément, The Roots of Christian Mysticism (New City Press, 1994) — More than a mere anthology, this book explores the early history of Christian mysticism by considering key themes such as prayer and humility, combining extensive quotations from the ancient authorities with Clément’s commentary.
• John Crowder, Miracle Workers, Reformers, and The New Mystics: How to Become Part of The Supernatural Generation (Destiny Image, 2006) — Unusually positive for a book on mysticism by a Pentecostal author, this title explores the commonalities between classical mysticism and charismatic experience and how both streams can be sources of inspiration for Christians today.
• Meister Eckhart, Selected Writings (Penguin Classics, 1995) — One of the west’s most celebrated mystics (contemporary admirers include Ken Wilber and Matthew Fox), this medieval Dominican has survived accusations of heresy to achieve renown as a master of nondual spirituality. This anthology includes a selection of his sermons as well as three longer works.
• John Scotus Eriugena, The Voice of the Eagle, The Heart of Celtic Christianity: Homily on the Prologue to the Gospel of St. John, tr. with an introduction and reflections by Christopher Bamford (Lindisfarne Books, 1990) — Although this book is marketed as a “Celtic Christian” text, its importance is far more than provincial: Eriugena, a ninth century philosopher, brought his Irish sensibility to bear on the question of how to integrate mystical Neoplatonism with Christian Cosmology. This book, featuring his commentary on the most mystical of the gospels, serves as an introduction to his cosmological thought.
• Hugh Feiss, OSB, Essential Monastic Wisdom: Writings on the Contemplative Life, with a foreword by Kathleen Norris (Harper San Francisco, 1999) — The social phenomenon by which Christian mysticism was kept alive and nurtured for over a millennium was monasticism, the organization of devout individuals into structured communities of faith. This anthology, featuring the voices of mystics from the Desert Fathers to Thomas Merton, celebrates not only the wisdom of monasticism, but how this wisdom directly applies to the formation of Christian spirituality.
• Carol Lee Flinders, Enduring Grace: Living Portraits of Seven Women Mystics (Harper Collins, 1993) — One of the authors of the famous vegetarian cookbook Laurel’s Kitchen offers an honest and accessible guide to medieval figures like Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Genoa and Julian of Norwich, considering how their voices remain relevant to women (and men) living now.
• Anne Fremantle, ed., The Protestant Mystics: An Anthology of Spiritual Experience from Martin Luther to T.S. Eliot (Little, Brown and Company, 1964) — Created to refute W.T. Stace’s rather witless comment that “There are no Protestant mystics,” this anthology gathers the spiritual writings of over 65 authors (such as George Herbert, William Law, and Rufus Jones) from the first 500 years of Protestant Christianity. Ironically, Evelyn Underhill and Dag Hammarskjöld are not included.
• Timothy Fry, ed., The Rule of St. Benedict (Liturgical Press, 1981) — It’s truly remarkable how this 5th century document on monastic living could be so relevant for non-monastics in the 21st century! The Liturgical Press edition features Latin text, English translation, and extensive commentary.
• Gregory of Nyssa, Commentary on the Song of Songs, Translated with an Introduction by Casimir McCambley, OCSO (Hellenic College Press, 1987) — Renowned as a dogmatic theologian, Gregory of Nyssa’s reputation as a mystic has been eclipsed by such contemporaries as Evagrius Ponticus and Ephrem the Syrian. But in this collection of homilies, Gregory, like Origen before him, approached the Song of Songs as an allegory of Divine-human love: a theme contemplatives would continue to unpack for centuries to come.
• Hildegard of Bingen, Selected Writings (Penguin Classics, 2001) — Introductory anthology of writings from a 12th century visionary whose work covered not only mysticism but naturalism, medicine and music as well.
  
• Urban T. Holmes, A History of Christian Spirituality: An Analytical Introduction (Morehouse, 2002) — At 160 pages, this is a brief but thorough overview of the history of Christian mysticism that give a quick sense of the “big picture.” It’s particularly useful because of Holme’s “analytical” classification of identifying mystics as apophatic, kataphatic, speculative, or affective.
• Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius: A Translation and Commentary (Loyola Press, 1992) — St. Ignatius would merit his place in history merely as the founder of the Jesuits. That he is also the author of the Spiritual Exercises, a magnificent treatise detailing a Biblically-grounded method of discernment, simply adds to his importance within western mysticism.
• John of the Cross, The Dark Night of the Soul (Image Books, 1959) — Saint John of the Cross is one of only a handful of truly great western mystics who is as revered by orthodox Christians as by others. He is also one of the greatest of Spanish poets. The Dark Night of the Soul is, first and foremost, a luminous poem about the love affair between God and the soul; this book unpacks the treasures of the poem with the saint’s own perceptive commentary.
• John of the Cross, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, tr. by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD (ICS Publications, 1991) — This beautiful single-volume edition of the works of the great Spanish Carmelite mystic features a celebrated, late-twentieth-century translation. In addition to John’s poetry and four key mystical works (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, Spiritual Canticle and Living Flame of Love), this collection features letters and several minor works.
• Julian of Norwich, Revelation of Love, tr. John Skinner (Image Books, 1996) — Skinner, a former Jesuit who lived for a time in a Carthusian community, brings a deft contemplative sensibility to this, one of the most accessible translations of Julian, in a beautifully designed book.
• Julian of Norwich, Showing of Love: Extant Texts and Translation, edited by Sister Anna Maria Reynolds, C.P. and Julia Bolton Holloway (Florence, Italy: SISMEL, 2001) — This 848-page, linen-bound volume features transcriptions of the four major manuscripts of Julian’s book: the Westminster manuscript from ca. 1500; the Paris Bibliothèque Nationale manuscript from ca. 1580; and two manuscripts from the British Library (ca. 1413 and ca. 1670). Contemporary English translations of the three earliest mss., an index of scriptural references, table of cross references, and extensive notes and bibliography round out this treasure.
• Thomas Keating, Foundations for Centering Prayer and the Christian Contemplative Life (Continuum, 2002) — A beautiful compendium which gathers together three of Fr. Keating’s most important books on Centering Prayer: Open Mind, Open Heart (1986), Invitation to Love (1992), and The Mystery of Christ (1987). Taken together, these books explore both the theory and practice of Centering Prayer, along with its place in the overall liturgical life of the church.
• Kenneth E. Kirk, The Vision of God: The Christian Doctrine of the Summum Bonum (Harper Torchbooks, 1966) — Ostensibly a work of theological history, this vast study of the Christian quest to see God, and the influence this quest had on morals, worship, and theology, ends up being a veritable treasure trove of ascetical theology. Mystics such as Bernard of Clairvaux, Ignatius of Loyola and Francis de Sales, among others, are considered in light of their contribution to the quest for the Beatific Vision.
• Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, Critical Edition (ICS Publications, 1994) — Compiled from his letters and other sources, Brother Lawrence’s signature work celebrates how prayer and piety in the most ordinary of circumstances can help cultivate a lasting sense of intimacy with God.
• John MacQuarrie, Two Worlds Are Ours: An Introduction to Christian Mysticism (Fortress Press, 2005) — A leading Anglican theologian provides this historical survey of the mystical dimension of Christianity, examining mysticism from its occurrence in the Bible to twentieth century figures like Thomas Merton.
• Pauline Matarasso, tr. and ed., The Cistercian World: Monastic Writings of the Twelfth Century (Penguin Books, 1993) — Centuries before Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating, the Cistercian order was home to great mystics like Bernard of Clairvaux, William of St. Thierry, and Aelred of Rievaulx. Key writings from each of these medieval mystics are included in this anthology, along with a variety of works from lesser known Cistercian voices.
• Bernard McGinn, ed., The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism (Modern Library, 2006) — This generous (550 pp.) anthology by a noted scholar guides the reader through representative writings of great Christian mystics both ancient and modern, arranged by topic.
• Bernard McGinn, The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart: The Man From Whom God Hid Nothing (Herder & Herder, 2001) — An accessible introduction to the spirituality of Eckhart, the great medieval German Dominican. McGinn explores key themes in Eckhart’s work, such as the mysticism of the ground and the concept of the eternal birth.
• William McNamara, Earthy Mysticism: Contemplation and the Life of Passionate Presence (Crossroad, 1987) — By turns eloquent, playful and cranky, this Carmelite meditation on the spiritual life by one of the twentieth century’s most idiosyncratic of Catholic writers provides a thought-provoking glimpse at the directions Christian mysticism could take in the third millennium.
• Mechthild of Magdeburg, The Flowing Light of the Godhead (Paulist Press, 1997) — a lesser-known gem of thirteenth-century visionary mysticism, exuberant and passionate in both its devotional tone and its vivid language.
• Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1999) — A surprise bestseller when first released in 1948, this autobiography charts Merton’s journey from urbane young graduate student to Trappist monk. Although Merton’s faith comes across as immature, his sincerity and literary prowess make this an entertaining read.
• Thomas Merton, Contemplative Prayer (Image Books, 1971) – one of Merton’s final books (originally published as The Climate of Monastic Prayer), this summation of mature prayer serves as a valedictory statement from the 20th century’s most celebrated Christian mystic.
• Thomas Merton, Spiritual Master: The Essential Writings, edited by Lawrence S. Cunningham (Paulist Press, 1992) —Excellent introductory anthology of Merton’s autobiographical and spiritual prose, combining generous excerpts from key works like The Seven Storey Mountain with other classic texts (”Firewatch,” “A Member of the Human Race”).
• The New Jerusalem Bible, Saints Devotional Edition (Doubleday, 2002) — The Bible is a treasure of mystical writings (the Psalms, the Song of Songs, the Gospel of John) and this edition includes complementary excerpts from the writings of many saints, including at least 25 generally regarded as mystics.
• Gregory Palamas, The Triads (Paulist Press, 1982) — A leading mystic of medieval Byzantium, Palamas is best known for this classic defense of hesychasm, the method of Eastern Christian prayer that emphasizes inner stillness as the path of opening to Divine presence.
• M. Basil Pennington, Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form (Image Books, 1982) — Pennington was one of three Trappist monks credited with starting the centering prayer movement, which brought the spirituality of The Cloud of Unknowing to today’s world. This book is his accessible introduction to the practice.
• Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos & Chapters on Prayer (Cistercian Publications, 1972) — A key voice among the desert fathers, Evagrius Ponticus write koan-like aphorisms that documented some of the earliest expressions of Christian contemplation.
• Pseudo-Dionysius, The Complete Works (Paulist Press, 1987) — Easily the most important Christian mystic of the first millennium, this unknown Syrian who wrote about the year 500 CE. brilliantly fused neoplatonic philosophy with Christian cosmology, resulting in a profound statement about the inexhaustible mysteries of God.
• Maggie Ross, Pillars of Flame: Power, Priesthood, and Spiritual Maturity (Harper & Row, 198 — On the surface, this meditation on the politics of Christian ministry by an Anglican solitary may seem to be more feminist theology than mystical treatise; but the entire sweep and thrust of the book’s argument rests on a luminous understanding of the authentic kenosis encountered in the ever-presence of God.
• John Ruusbroec, The Spiritual Espousals and Other Works (Paulist Press, 1986) — Renowned as Evelyn Underhill’s favorite mystic, Ruusbroec was a pivotal mystic who stands between the Rhineland tradition (exemplified by Meister Eckhart) and the devotio moderna (exemplified by Thomas à Kempis). In his masterpiece, The Spiritual Espousals, Ruusbroec charts the development of the spiritual life through the active, interior, and contemplative lives.
• Tomás Spidlík, S.J., The Spirituality of the Christian East (Cistercian Publications, 1986) — A respected western scholar, Spidlík provides a thorough and systematic overview to the scope of Orthodox mysticism, ranging from anthropological and cosmological theory to the practice of renunciation, prayer and contemplation.
• Teresa of Avila, The Way of Perfection, (Saint Benedict Press, 2006) — Originally written for the nuns of her discalced Carmelite order, this book can be profitably read by anyone who wishes to cultivate an authentic contemplative spirituality within an orthodox Christian context. Teresa’s spice and wit make this a fun as well as instructive manual.
• Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle (Image Books, 1972) — Widely regarded as one of the greatest of western mystical treatises, this book showcases Teresa’s insight and wit as applied to a developmental map of the spiritual life as a progressive journey through successive “mansions” within the diamondlike castle that is the soul.
• Thérèse of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul (ICS Publications, 1999) — This autobiography by an obscure 19th-century Carmelite nun not only is surprisingly solid beneath its florid romantic prose, but it also made its 24-year-old author (who succumbed to tuberculosis shortly after completing this work) the most unlikely person ever to be named a Doctor of the Catholic Church.
• Denys Turner, The Darkness of God: Negativity in Christian Mysticism (Cambridge University Press, 1995) — Metaphors of darkness, unknowing, hiddenness and nothingness are essential to the apophatic (”imageless”) stream of mysticism; in this book, traces these key themes through major mystical writers like Meister Eckhart, Denys the Carthusian, and John of the Cross.
• Evelyn Underhill, Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness (One World, 1999) — First published in 1911 and dated in some ways, this remains an elegant and magisterial work which explores both the theory and practice of unitive Christian spirituality.
• Benedicta Ward, ed., The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (Penguin Classics, 2003) — Documenting the early manifestations of Christian mysticism, the aphorisms, legends, and teaching tales attributed to the desert fathers (and mothers) of Egypt in the 3rd and 4th century offer a colorful and insightful glimpse into Christian spirituality at a crucial time in church history.
• Rowan Williams, Teresa of Avila (Continuum Books, 1991) — This introduction to the life and writing of the great 16th-century Carmelite contemplative is distinctive because the author, who at the time of its writing was a professor at Oxford, became in 2003 the Archbishop of Canterbury.

World Mysticism

• S. Abhayananda, History of Mysticism: The Unchanging Testament (Watkins Publishing, 2002) — Readable survey of the history of world mysticism, featuring extensive excerpts from the writings of many mystics; although somewhat marred by the author’s polemical tone.
• Farid al-Din Attar, The Conference of the Birds (Penguin Classics, 1984) — A poet in the same literary class as Milton, Dante or Chaucer, Attar’s allegorical treatment of Sufi themes celebrates the quest for Divine Love.
• Sri Aurobindo, The Integral Yoga: Teaching and Method of Practice (Lotus Press, 1993) — This anthology of Aurobindo’s letters provides an ideal introduction to his teaching regarding integral yoga — a practice designed to facilitate conscious identity with the Divine.
  
• Samuel Bercholz and Sherab Chödzin Kohn, eds., Entering the Stream: An Introduction to the Buddha and His Teachings (Shambhala Publications 1993) — Released to coincide with Bernardo Bertolucci’s film Little Buddha, this accessible anthology brings together writings by such luminaries as Chögyam Trungpa, Pema Chödrön, and Thich Nhat Hanh, to provide a richly-colored introduction to Buddhism tailored specifically for westerners.
• Joseph Dan, The Heart of the Fountain: An Anthology of Jewish Mystical Experience (Oxford University Press, 2002) — This anthology by a leading scholar of Jewish spirituality offers a historical survey of Kabbalistic, Hasidic, and other “mystical” voices within the Jewish tradition, from late antiquity to the present day.
• Eknath Easwaran, tr., Classics of Indian Spirituality: The Bhagavad Gita, The Dhammapada, and The Upanishads (Nilgiri Press, 1993) — Beautiful boxed set of three paperback editions of sacred Eastern texts, in highly readable and critically acclaimed translations.
• Mircea Eliade, Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (Princeton University Press, 1951) — Is shamanism is a form of mysticism? That’s an argument for semanticists as much as for students of spirituality. Meanwhile, this book is the classic study of shamanism, written and published a generation before Michael Harner turned it into a fad for the weekend workshop crowd.
  
• Morris M. Faierstein, ed., Jewish Mystical Autobiographies: The Book of Visions and The Book of Secrets (Paulist Press, 1999) — Confessional writings by two remarkable Jewish visionaries from the 16th and 19th centuries, encompassing such topics as reincarnation, dream interpretation, and messianic claims.
  
• F. C. Happold, Mysticism: A Study and an Anthology(Penguin Books, 1970) — Classic introductory text (first published in 1963) provides extensive selections from a wide array of world mystics, along with an in-depth (100 pp.) introductory essay.
• Andrew Harvey, ed., The Essential Mystics: The Soul’s Journey into Truth (Harper Collins, 1996) — Adequate introductory anthology covering selections from the world’s wisdom traditions, somewhat marred by Harvey’s over-emphasis on the role of the Divine Mother.
• Hazrat Inayat Khan, The Heart of Sufism: Essential Writings (Shambhala Publications, 1999) — As one of the first major Sufi teachers to bring his wisdom tradition to Europe and America, Hazrat Inayat Khan’s writings have had a profound impact on Sufism’s development in the west. This book collects key excerpts from his prolific writing on both Sufism and related topics.
• Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching (Vintage Books, 1997) — a beautifully translated and typeset edition of the great classic of Taoism, this ancient Chinese text is a beautiful and poetic evocation of ineffability, emptiness, and wisdom.
• Ramana Maharshi, The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi (Shambhala Publications, 199 — The collected writings of a major twentieth century Hindu mystic, revered by figures like Paul Brunton, Ken Wilber, and Carl Jung (who wrote the foreword to this volume).
• Daniel C. Matt, ed., The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism (Harper San Francisco, 1996) — Basic anthology of key Kabbalistic texts, along with the editor’s introduction intended to help the beginner to appreciate the richness and depth of this tradition.
• Nagarjuna, The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (Oxford University Press, 1995) — Viewed by some as second only to the Buddha in importance within Buddhism, Nagarjuna was a principle architect of the Mahayana path; his teachings regarding the “Middle Way” proved to be profoundly influential.
  
• Swami Nikhilananda, tr., The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1984) — The life and message of a celebrated 19th-century Advaita Vedanta mystic whose influence extends to major contemporary writers like Andrew Harvey and Ken Wilber.
  
• Geoffrey Parrinder, Mysticism in the World’s Religions (Oneworld Publications, 1996) — Using a broad (and perhaps oversimplified) distinction of “monism” vis à vis “theism,” Parrinder — a Methodist minister who taught comparative religion at King’s College, London — surveys the varieties of spiritual experience, considering not only the world’s major faith traditions but also “secular mysticism” such as occultism or drug use.
• Plotinus, The Essential Plotinus: Representative Treatises from the Enneads (Hackett Publishing, 1975) — The last of the great ancient Pagan philosophers, Plotinus’ reinterpretation of Plato has inspired countless mystics from Pseudo-Dionysisus to Ken Wilber. This anthology offers a sampling of his densely lyrical prose.
• Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, The Essential Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks and John Moynes (Penguin Books, 2004) — By turns playful and humorous, lyrical and in-your-face, Rumi would be called a coyote if he were from North America. His poems reveal a profound mystical sensibility.
• Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam (University of North Carolina Press, 197 — extensive, academic overview of Sufism from its origins through the nineteenth century, exploring both the culture of Sufism and its impact on Islam as a whole.
• Gershom Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (Schocken Books, 1946) — Widely regarded as a seminal classic in the field of academic studies of Jewish spirituality; this book did for esoteric Judaism what Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism did for Christian spirituality: establish its subject as a serious and relevant topic for contemporary study (and practice).
  
• Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (Shambhala Publications, 2006) — First published in 1970, this anthology of teishos (teachings) by the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center is now considered one of the best and most concise of introductions to Zen practice.
• Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (New World Library, 1999) — This surprise bestseller invites the reader to relax into the healing power of the present moment; as a non-sectarian guide to spiritual growth, it is an example of how mysticism is reinventing itself in the postmodern world.
  
• Ken Wilber, The Simple Feeling of Being: Embracing Your True Nature (Shambhala Publications, 2004) — Wilber is known mainly for his integral theory, but his ideas emerge from his longstanding meditation practice and experiential spirituality. This book collects Wilber’s often poetic mystical writings into a single, accessible anthology.
• Rowan Williams, Teresa of Avila (Continuum, 1991) — Written and published before Williams was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury, this study of the great Carmelite mystic and her incarnational theology serves also as a glimpse into the spirituality of its author.
• Paramahamsa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi (Self-Realization Fellowship, 1979) — I discovered this book when the rock group Yes recorded an album based on it (Tales from Topographic Oceans). It’s a delightful, down-to-earth story of a modern mystic who leaves his homeland to bring his spiritual wisdom to the wilds of California, a generation ahead of the beatniks and hippies. His descriptions of samadhi are particularly colorful and interesting.