Reviews (7)

Excellent Overview of Christian Mysticism
Evelyn Underhill's magnum opus on Western mysticism is essential reading to those who want to understand, conceptually, the orientations, stages of development, and ultimate relevance of the mystical tradition.Underhill focuses on key figures of Christian mysticism, and is somewhat dismissive of Eastern approaches.She clearly has her opinions on what is within the proper bounds of the tradition she embraces, but given the context of when she was writing, it is truly refreshing to see an author maintain and defend a point of view.
The Greening of Evelyn Underhill
There have been some fine reviews already shared here applauding and outlining the importance of Underhill's masterwork on Mysticism. I couldn't agree more!
Blessed Evelyn!
Evelyn Underhill is that most wonderful of combinations:a remarkably thorough student of mysticism, an intensely religious woman who had mystical tendencies herself, and a beautiful writer who can evoke the wonder of the mystical vision by the similes and metaphors she uses.An earlier reviewer thinkes her prose is "impenetrable."A strange evaluation, in my judgment, of a writer who is both poetic and pellucid.Here's a typical (and splendid!) example of her wordcraft:"By false desires and false thoughts man has built up for himself a false universe:as a mollusc, by the deliberate and persistent absorption of lime and rejection of all else, can build up for itself a hard shell which shuts it from the external world, and only represents in a distorted and unrecognisable form the ocean from which it was obtained.This hard and wholly unnutritious shell, this one-sided secretion of the surface-consciousness,makes as it were a little cave of illusion for each separate soul."(pp. 198-99)Read more

Subjects:  1. Comparative Religion    2. Mysticism    3. Religion    4. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    5. Christian mysticism    6. Mind, body, spirit: mysticism & self-awareness    7. Religion / General   

Reviews (2)

Reflections on the Spiritual Life.
God is the only reality, and we are only real in so far as we are in His order, and He in us.
Enlightening book.
I ended up highlighting nearly every paragraph of the book!Very refreshing for thirsty souls. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Devotional    2. Inspirational - General    3. Mysticism    4. Religion    5. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    6. Spirituality - General   

Reviews (7)

A classic gem on Western Mysticism
I first encountered this book when I was an undergraduate student taking a Mysticism course in a Jesuit University.At the time, the book was out of print and the instructor thought it was so valuable he photocopied it for everyone in the class at his own expense.More than 20 years later, I agree with him that this book is unique and valuable.I also think that its message is still relevant to modern people and would rank it as a spiritual classic.
Hardly practical but quite alluring in its own way
Read this to understand one human's attempts to know the mind of the universe.Don't read this if you want some kind of instruction on how to develop your own connection to that Intelligence.A pretty book nonetheless.

creaky old chestnut
Evelyn Underhill wrote numerous books about mysticism, an amazing number of which are still in print (click on author name to see). In this little book, published just at the start of WWI, Underhill attempted to distill a summary of the mystical pursuit in simple language.Read more

Subjects:  1. Mysticism    2. Religion    3. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    4. Spirituality - General    5. Christianity    6. Religion & Beliefs    7. Religion / Spirituality   

Reviews (1)

An Avenue for Spiritual Metamorphosis
This book is a magnificent book that does nothing short of stirr the soul into movement. Her 1927 retreat: " Inner Grace and Outward Sign" is a true gift of grace! I read this book in the midst of a "darknight of the senses" - feeling lost and forsakened it gently andpowerfully watered my parched and thirsty soul. Truly this woman must havebeen a channel of God's Grace and Spirit in her lifetime and her writings agift to us all. Her retreats reawakened the desire in me to be open toGod's ever present Spirit and Love, even, within the dryness and darkness.It made me better understand that the Spirit of God is ever moving andworking in each one of us though we may not be able to clearly witness It'smovement or hear Its silent murmurs. I recommend this book to all spiritualjourneyers and believe that within its pages each will find the particulargrace, light and courage needed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternate Spirituality    2. Inspirational - Protestant    3. Spirituality - General    4. Christian life & practice    5. Religion / Spirituality   

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - General    2. Mysticism    3. Religion    4. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    5. Spirituality - General    6. Christian spirituality    7. Mind, body, spirit: mysticism & self-awareness    8. Religion / General   

Subjects:  1. Anglican Communion    2. General    3. Mysticism    4. Religion    5. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    6. Spiritual life   

Subjects:  1. Mysticism    2. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality   

Subjects:  1. Devotional    2. Institutions & Organizations    3. Lord's Supper    4. Lord's Supper (Liturgy)    5. Meditations    6. Religion - Prayer & Spirituality    7. Sacrifice    8. Christianity   

Reviews (2)

Mysticism.
What the world, which truly knows nothing, calls `mysticism' is the science of ultimates . . . the science of self-evident Reality, which cannot be `reasoned about', because it is the object of pure reason or perception.
This book is the mother-lode on mysticism.
For the best study of mysticsm, this is the true text book.Word of warning - I picked it up as my first book on the subject and felt I was reading a foreign language.After reading three books about individual mystics, I again picked up Mysticism and found that the book was incredible and probably the best reference book ever written, or to be written, on this topic. I am sure I will refer to it again and again for further detail on certain ways of the mystics. It is apparent that this was Ms. Underhill's mission in life - to interpret and explain mysticism for all of us. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Devotional    2. General    3. Mysticism    4. Religion    5. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    6. Philosophy    7. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (1)

A fresh view of mysticism in the Christian tradition
I read this book a number of years ago and am still amazed when I think of the impact it had. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mysticism    2. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality   

Subjects:  1. Mysticism    2. Spiritual life   

Reviews (7)

A Remarkable Mystical Work
This is one of the most beautiful and spiritual uplifting works I have ever read!

Good writing, lousy edition
Although the work itself is magnificent, this particular edition of it is very disappointing. It looks nothing like what's pictured here (and I checked the link to make sure I ordered the right one). The one I received is an oversized purple volume. It appears that someone just xeroxed an earlier edition of the work and bound it together. Also this edition has almost no footnotes or translation, and some of the medieval text is a bit difficult to understand. I'd recommend the penguin edition.

Gem of Western Spirituality
A very interesting description of a contemplative discipline conveyed intimately from an unknown teacher to an unknown student. The text is a mystic exploration of the divine that rejects the use of the intellect and the imagination, preferring an inner knowing, like a numinous experience based on feeling, a gnosis of the heart. An important theme is the difference between the active and the contemplative personality; others include the awareness of self, death of the ego, and advice on leading the contemplative life. Although this writing is deeply embedded in Christian tradition and I disagree with many of these beliefs, I still admire the author's gentleness and sense of humor. All spiritually-minded people will benefit from a study of this almost poetic text. The most beautiful sentiment is this: "For it is not what you are nor what you have been that God regards with his most merciful eyes, but what you would like to be." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. Logic    4. Middle Ages, 600-1500    5. Mysticism    6. Religion    7. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    8. Philosophy    9. Philosophy / General   

Subjects:  1. Anglican Communion    2. Christian Mysticism    3. Christianity - Episcopalianism    4. Christianity - Literature    5. Devotional    6. Mysticism    7. Religion    8. Religion - Classic Works    9. Spiritual life   

Reviews (3)

Archaic language, often stilted prose
Tagore wrote these translations a century ago. The language is often stilted or archaic.
My favorite book ever
I first found this book when I was young, 16, and exploring religion in my heart. These poems spoke to me. The relationship with god that is described in the poems is the one I wanted for myself. I have since read other versions of Kabir and many poems by Tagore, but this book remains my one and truest "Bible," which I always have closeby, and read in times of trouble or gladness. Whenever I read these poems I feel at peace and at one with my heart. I can't recommend these beautiful poems highly enough.

Kabir's vision was of the unity of the human and divine
Kabir was born about 1440 (probably), and was a contemporary of the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak (possibly his mentor). A weaver by trade, and a mystic by nature, his spiritual vision accepted no divisionbetween Life and Creator, man and God, as evinced by the followingexcerpts; "I Laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty:You do not see that the Real is in your home, and you wander...listlessly!Here is the truth! Go where you will...if you do not find your soul, theworld is unreal to you." and ..."Kabir says, God is the breath ofall breath". Many of these songs contain criticism, not of"worldly" people who lived materialistically, but of renunciateswho sought God outside of life and relationships; "The infinitedwelling of the Infinite Being is everywhere: in earth, water, sky, andair...He who is within is without; I see Him and none else". Thistranslation by Tagore also contains allusions to Kabirs' cosmology andessential spiritual practice (absorbtion into the Divine Word or creativepower) missing in the naturalistic and minimalistic interpretatations ofRobert Bly. The poems, or songs, themselves are remarkably fresh, as ifthey contained the living inspiration which gave them form, and remain, asit were, untouched by time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asian    2. General    3. Literary Collections    4. Literature: Classics    5. Poetry   

Subjects:  1. 1875-1941    2. Anglicans    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Devotional    5. Diaries    6. England    7. Episcopal Churches    8. Mysticism    9. Mystics    10. Prayer    11. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    12. Religion - Prayer & Spirituality    13. Underhill, Evelyn,    14. Underhill, Evelyn   

Subjects:  1. Devotional    2. Mysticism    3. Religion    4. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    5. God    6. Personal Christian testimony & popular inspirational works    7. Religion / Mysticism    8. Religion-Devotional   

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Christianity    3. Mysticism    4. Religion    5. Religious    6. Spiritual life    7. Spirituality - General   

Subjects:  1. Asian    2. Poetry    3. Poetry texts & anthologies   

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - Catechisms    3. Devotional    4. Inspirational - General    5. Meditations    6. Nicene Creed    7. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    8. Spiritual life    9. Christian ministry & pastoral activity    10. Christian theology