A reader of this blog wrote the following message to me…
Hi Carl. Thank you for all of the incredible information about mysticism on your website. It’s been a tremendous resource. I was wondering if you had a moment to scan this list and see if there’s anyone you would add or subtract as an “important”, “top shelf”, etc. mystic that i’ve missed. Thanks again, I appreciate your suggestions.
Anthony of the Desert
Desert Fathers & Mothers
Augustine of Hippo
Bernard of Clairvaux
Hildegard of Bingen
Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure of Bagnoregio
Meister Eckhart
Julian of Norwich
The Cloud of Unknowing
Catherine of Siena
Thomas à Kempis
Ignatius of Loyola
Teresa of Ávila
John of the Cross
François de Sales
Brother Lawrence
Jean Pierre de Caussade
The Way of a Pilgrim
Thérèse de Lisieux
I like your list. I wouldn’t remove anyone, although I suppose I would consider Catherine of Siena, Thomas à Kempis, François de Sales, and Jean Pierre de Caussade as the least significant of the writers on your list. Certainly still worth reading, but just not as ground-breaking or remarkable as the others on your list.
Who would I add to your list? Well, I’m a bit more biased toward contemporary mystics, so I certainly wouldn’t stop in the 19th century with Thérèse de Lisieux! So here are seven mystics from the past that I would add to your list, along with another ten from the twentieth century:
Evagrius Ponticus
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
Isaac of Syria
Hadewijch
John Ruusbroec
Walter Hilton
George Fox
Caryll Houselander
Evelyn Underhill
Simone Weil
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Thomas Merton
Abhishiktananda
Howard Thurman
Bede Griffiths
Bernadette Roberts
Ramon Panikkar
Bruno Barnhart
Thomas Keating
Finally, I hope that readers of this blog will indulge me recommending a book I wrote: Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints and Sages where I introduce some of the most significant (in my opinion) writers of the Christian mystical tradition, looking at how they represent a variety of spiritual perspectives. Click on the title to buy an autographed copy from me, or you can always buy it from your favorite independent bookstore or even from you-know-who.
Happy exploring!
