What is mysticism? The question continues to be the subject of fierce debate. Some argue that all mystical experience is the same - it is an innate human ability - while others insist that the nature of mystical experience is highly conditioned by the cultural and religious background of the mystic. There is, however, no disagreement about the identity of the mystics themselves. In this book, william Harmless offers a highly readable introduction to the mystics and their message. Their message, he says, centers on three topics: who God is, how we meet God in prayer; and why the human heart is at once so deep, so beautiful, so selfish, and so hard to fathom. By introducing students and general reders to these figures, he hopes to stimulate reflection on these great questions, and deeper exploration of the world's mystical traditions.

About the Author
William Harmless, S.J., is Professor of Theology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He has been a member of the Society of Jesus since 1978 and specializes in the history and theology of early Christianity. He is the author of Augustine and the Catechumenate and Desert Christians: An Introduction to the Literature of Early Monasticism.

Reviews
This book is fluently written and provides an excellent introduction to several figures. * Jane Shaw, Times Higher Education Supplement *



Book Information
ISBN 9780195300383
Author William Harmless
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 648g
Dimensions(mm) 243mm * 161mm * 24mm