The author describes this love as the cloud of unknowing in which we loose ourselves in gods presence. Nobody knows who wrote the book, or exactly where he lived, or whether he. The cloud of unknowing catholic spiritual direction. A work of simplicity, courage, and lucidity, it is a contemplative classic on the deep mysteries of faith. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Cloud of unknowing documents techniques used by the medieval monastic community to build and maintain that contemplative knowledge of god. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The cloud of unknowing summarized in modern english. I was moved to do so by seeing a new translation of the classic by carmen acevedo butcher picked up on one of those year end, best books of. The little book about 100 pages is the first such work in the english language. Written as a primer for the young monastic, the work is instructional, but does not have an austere didactic tone.
It talks about how to get to god by going over the cloud of unknowing leaving behind the cloud of forgetting. The cloude of unknowing is an anonymous work of christian mysticism written in middle english in the latter half of the 14th century. So in a religious context, it is thinking about god, studying the bible, listening to a sermon, or reading theological books and so on. Once again, as we come to the closing chapters 6975, i trust its all right if i highlight three or four major insights andor concerns anonymous gives us, making a special effort to. The cloud of unknowing with commentary by augustine baker kindle edition by anonymous, augustine baker, beth maynard. Cynthia bourgeaults new book, the heart of centering prayer, offers a. Written by an anonymous english monk during the late fourteenth century, the cloud of unknowing is a sublime expression of what separates god from humanity and is widely regarded as a hallmark of western literature and spirituality. Unpacking the cloud of unknowing women of gracewomen of. Cynthia bourgeault s new book, the heart of centering prayer, offers a complete course in the practice, and then takes us back to its textual roots by offering a detailed commentary of the cloud of unknowing as it relates to centering prayer and to the perception of nonduality of which the anonymous author speaks.
Also included in the volume is the companion work attributed to the same anonymous author, the book of privy. The underlying message of this work suggests that the way to know god is to abandon consideration of gods particular activities and attributes. Nobody knows who wrote the book, or exactly where he lived, or whether he was a member of a religious order, or even, really, whether he was part of any church at all. Weve been reading and talking over the cloud of unknowing since september, 20, and today we enter our final discussion concerning this classic text for christians practicing contemplative prayer. Of his writings, the cloud of unknowing and the book of privy. The text is a spiritual guide on contemplative prayer in the late middle ages. In the cloud of unknowing, an anonymous 14thcentury monk, a master of the practice of christian contemplation, explores both the philosophytheology behind the practice and the method of practice itself. Being smart or welleducated will not help you understand this. Recently on an episode of your show, i heard a priest speak negatively about a book titled, the cloud of unknowing, saying that it. The cloud of unknowing is an anonymous work of christian mysticism written in middle. Scholars date the anonymous authorship of cloud of unknowing to 75, during the height of european monasticism. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Having stood the test of time written in the 14th century the cloud of unknowing feels quite contemporary, yet cuts through the superficial spirituality that is pervasive today to provide a robust connection with god and tradition. If you want to have a relationship with godslove, you have to read this book with your heart.
Karma lataifesitta meaning of life metaphysics minds eye moksha nature nirvana parapsychology planes of. He writes particularly for an unidentified younger monk who is considering the call to a contemplative life. This is william johnstons summary of the message of the cloud of unknowing. The cloud of unknowing consists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or. Cynthia bourgeaults new book, the heart of centering prayer, offers a complete course in the practice, and then takes us back to its textual roots by offering a detailed commentary of the cloud of unknowing as it relates to centering prayer and to the perception of. The feeling is almost like cynthia putting her arm around your shoulder and leading you through the text, illuminating it as she goes, showing that its not really that scary. The cloud of unknowing the classics of western spirituality paperback january 1, 1981.