The Modern Mystic

Book excerpt: The Christian mystics were seekers of God's wisdom and presence. They sought out, as described by the Celtic Christian tradition, those places "worn thin"; where earth and heaven lose their distinctions. They serve as guides to those "thin" places for the modern day spiritual seeker. The goal of this book is not to update the tradition, but to locate the ancient wisdom and spiritual insights in a modern context. In this book, the two thousand year long tradition of spiritual seekers, the Christian mystics, will be explored for the purposes of mining their insights and wisdom for today's seeker. Their wisdom has been passed to us through what is called the Contemplative or Mystical path. It is a tapestry threaded with ecstatic visions of divine love, personal revelation and a deep sense of God's direct presence. This book will introduce you to the history, major themes, characters and practices of the Christian mystics. The mystics will serve as your spiritual guides to the love of God. The purpose of this book is not to update the ancient Contemplative wisdom and practices of the Christian mystics. Instead, the intent is to understand their wisdom in the hope of articulating it in such a way that spiritual seekers from a modern context can understand and apply what is gained for the benefit of their spiritual life.