Mediaeval Mystical Tradition and Saint John of the Cross

This learned and historically grounded work traces the development of mystical theology leading up to John of the Cross. The author offers a careful study of the principal figures and texts that shaped the medieval mystical tradition and prepared the way for its great synthesis in the Carmelite reform.

The book examines the contributions of Hugh and Richard of St Victor, St Bonaventure, and a number of influential works long attributed to other authors. It includes substantial treatment of Hugh of Balma, believed to have been a thirteenth-century Carthusian prior; the authentic sermons and Institutiones of Tauler, the latter compiled by St Peter Canisius under Tauler’s name; Ruysbroeck; Denis the Carthusian; Kastl’s De Adhaerendo Deo; and concludes with a brief survey of Spanish mystical writers of the early sixteenth century.

Throughout this historical survey, the author identifies a recurring difficulty within medieval mystical theology. What is most often lacking, he argues, is a clear and systematic account of the stage that lies between the abandonment of discursive meditation and the emergence of the prayer of quiet. By bringing this gap into focus, the book provides valuable insight into the spiritual and theological context from which St John of the Cross would later articulate his doctrine with such precision.

Originally praised in Downside Review (January 1955), this work remains an important resource for students of mysticism, historical theology, and the spiritual life.