The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism

Christian Century, April 3, 2007

The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism.

Edited by Bernard McGinn. The Modern Library, 608 pp., $19.95 paperback.

Bernard McGinn, a preeminent historian and interpreter of the Christian mystical tradition, has edited this fine collection of mystical writings, organizing them thematically (on biblical interpretation, prayer, sacraments and so on). While some of the mystics are from the modern era (Thomas Merton, for example), the majority of the writers are from the medieval period. The Quaker George Fox is a notable exception in what is largely a Catholic anthology. In addition to the introduction to the volume, McGinn offers helpful introductions to each thematic section, author and entry, as well as a brief critical bibliography on mysticism. Published in the Modern Library Classics series, this is a great value.