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title: "The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality"
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# The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality

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The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality [McColman, Carl] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality

Review: McColman's English and he himself is VERY INSIGHTFUL. Use your head, follow your heart - in tandem. - I am a Buddhist mystic turned a Christian mystic. According to McColman, "A person could conceivably be the most advanced mystic in the world, enjoying...spiritual bliss. But in Christian terms, this 'spiritual master' could be nothing more than the simplest of novices." Chapter 9: The Mystical Body So, from my "simplest of novices" point of view, I want to articulate the following points. McColman tends to emphasize mysticism as the higher reality: "Mysticism concerns a higher reality." "Mysticism...represents a fundamental shift in awareness to a higher/holier state." Both quotes are from Chapter 2: Defining Mysticism In my opinion, mysticism is about the highest reality, not the higher reality. Mystical experience should be treated as the state of being in commune with the most divine or God and not as merely the dance of love between God and man. As McColman states: "The Trinity is an eternal, joyful, radiant manifestation of love, loving, and being loved. Three dancers join together in one eternal dance." Chapter 8: Christianity's Best-Kept Secret Note: Man dances with the Trinity when he loves and worships it. "Simply put, mysticism - at least, Christian mysticism - is all about love." Chapter 6: Why Mysticism Matters "Christians call that Source of Love 'God'...." Chapter 6: Christian Mysticism Matters That leads me to the point of McColman that he does not possess the "ultimacy of experience" , though, I believe he is a mystic (He knows God as well as any other mystic.) Again, in his line of thinking, he always misses the point of God as the highest Absolute for the aspirant to use his utmost effort to reach and at its absolute finality, it is up to God's grace. McColman does mention that God's grace is the most essential requirement of Christian mysticism, nevertheless. Another one, "God is so ultimately unknowable." Chapter 7: The Mystical Paradoxes I think God is knowable: we have so variously knowledges about God. But God is knowable to an individual only as an individual limitation could allow. So yes, God allows each man a certain amount of knowledge of Him. That should be a fitter explanation than that God is ultimately unknowable. But anyhow, I think it is the best book I have ever read that comes from this 19th to 21st centuries. McColman is a Catholic or specifically a lay associate of a Trappist monastery. His English and he himself is VERY INSIGHTFUL. And this book is jam-packed with all the information a spiritual treveller would need such as Books (ancient and new), Mystics (ancient and new), and many other resources. I think this is his best quote: ["Use your head" and "follow your heart" are both great word of advice - especially when they are offered in tandem.] Chapter 7: The Mystical Paradoxes
Review: Excellent reminder and refreshment of spiritual roots - I find Carl McColman's steady, gentle pace of his presentation to be just right. I think one of the main goals of presenting and discussing the inherent mysticism in not only the roots of the Christian faith but also in the daily spiritual life of a Christian, is that it should entice and encourage exploration rather than alienate. Because many people nowadays are 'too busy' to do their own research or even to regularly read the Bible, they have instead developed a hair trigger response of automatic offense if a different word is used, or because the message doesn't come from an authority they have entrusted to keep their faith 'safe' for them. It is so much easier to entrust the maintenance of your faith to an 'authority' rather than explore the very dangerous territory of what God may want to do in the individual's life. After all, you may be sent to Nineveh. Despite that the modern view of Christianity is one only of allegiance and compliance (kind of like thinking of citizenship as voting, paying bills, and doing taxes), true Christianity is about a relationship with God. Of course this relationship can never be captured, because it is one of love. A parent sets rules for his or her child, but to say that those rules are the entirety of parenthood or family life would be ludicrous. So this book, or any book, cannot adequately encompass all of God or all of our relationship with God. But it tries, and within those limits I think it has at least a partial success. I think one of the worst, maybe even the absolute worst aspect of the fall of man was that it brought separation between all of us, and separation of us from God. And yet there is still a connection. Maybe it's buried deep and hard to find, but it is there. In a football stadium are different teams and fans taking different sides, but they are all there out of love for the spirit of the football game. We all are of the same human spirit breathed into us by God. We are our brother's keeper, and everyone is our neighbor that we are commanded to love as ourselves. One of the aspects of mysticism is that, because it is not a set of rules but a relationship with our Source, God, we begin to understand that everyone's relationship is personal and individual. True, mysticism is not Christianity. But Christianity is mystical through and through, and this book explores that innate and intimate component. I am also impressed with the author's listing of Christian mystic sources at the end of the book. Many directions are pointed at for further study, though as the author states, the best source is the Bible itself.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #182,060 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #89 in Mysticism Christian Theology #199 in Mysticism (Books) #5,397 in Christian Spiritual Growth (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (296) |
| Dimensions  | 6 x 1 x 9.25 inches |
| Edition  | n |
| ISBN-10  | 1571746242 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1571746245 |
| Item Weight  | 1.1 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 320 pages |
| Publication date  | August 1, 2010 |
| Publisher  | Hampton Roads Publishing |

## Images

![The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71o1609z+sL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ McColman's English and he himself is VERY INSIGHTFUL. Use your head, follow your heart - in tandem.
*by S***L on July 16, 2019*

I am a Buddhist mystic turned a Christian mystic. According to McColman, "A person could conceivably be the most advanced mystic in the world, enjoying...spiritual bliss. But in Christian terms, this 'spiritual master' could be nothing more than the simplest of novices." Chapter 9: The Mystical Body So, from my "simplest of novices" point of view, I want to articulate the following points. McColman tends to emphasize mysticism as the higher reality: "Mysticism concerns a higher reality." "Mysticism...represents a fundamental shift in awareness to a higher/holier state." Both quotes are from Chapter 2: Defining Mysticism In my opinion, mysticism is about the highest reality, not the higher reality. Mystical experience should be treated as the state of being in commune with the most divine or God and not as merely the dance of love between God and man. As McColman states: "The Trinity is an eternal, joyful, radiant manifestation of love, loving, and being loved. Three dancers join together in one eternal dance." Chapter 8: Christianity's Best-Kept Secret Note: Man dances with the Trinity when he loves and worships it. "Simply put, mysticism - at least, Christian mysticism - is all about love." Chapter 6: Why Mysticism Matters "Christians call that Source of Love 'God'...." Chapter 6: Christian Mysticism Matters That leads me to the point of McColman that he does not possess the "ultimacy of experience" , though, I believe he is a mystic (He knows God as well as any other mystic.) Again, in his line of thinking, he always misses the point of God as the highest Absolute for the aspirant to use his utmost effort to reach and at its absolute finality, it is up to God's grace. McColman does mention that God's grace is the most essential requirement of Christian mysticism, nevertheless. Another one, "God is so ultimately unknowable." Chapter 7: The Mystical Paradoxes I think God is knowable: we have so variously knowledges about God. But God is knowable to an individual only as an individual limitation could allow. So yes, God allows each man a certain amount of knowledge of Him. That should be a fitter explanation than that God is ultimately unknowable. But anyhow, I think it is the best book I have ever read that comes from this 19th to 21st centuries. McColman is a Catholic or specifically a lay associate of a Trappist monastery. His English and he himself is VERY INSIGHTFUL. And this book is jam-packed with all the information a spiritual treveller would need such as Books (ancient and new), Mystics (ancient and new), and many other resources. I think this is his best quote: ["Use your head" and "follow your heart" are both great word of advice - especially when they are offered in tandem.] Chapter 7: The Mystical Paradoxes

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent reminder and refreshment of spiritual roots
*by G***S on February 2, 2011*

I find Carl McColman's steady, gentle pace of his presentation to be just right. I think one of the main goals of presenting and discussing the inherent mysticism in not only the roots of the Christian faith but also in the daily spiritual life of a Christian, is that it should entice and encourage exploration rather than alienate. Because many people nowadays are 'too busy' to do their own research or even to regularly read the Bible, they have instead developed a hair trigger response of automatic offense if a different word is used, or because the message doesn't come from an authority they have entrusted to keep their faith 'safe' for them. It is so much easier to entrust the maintenance of your faith to an 'authority' rather than explore the very dangerous territory of what God may want to do in the individual's life. After all, you may be sent to Nineveh. Despite that the modern view of Christianity is one only of allegiance and compliance (kind of like thinking of citizenship as voting, paying bills, and doing taxes), true Christianity is about a relationship with God. Of course this relationship can never be captured, because it is one of love. A parent sets rules for his or her child, but to say that those rules are the entirety of parenthood or family life would be ludicrous. So this book, or any book, cannot adequately encompass all of God or all of our relationship with God. But it tries, and within those limits I think it has at least a partial success. I think one of the worst, maybe even the absolute worst aspect of the fall of man was that it brought separation between all of us, and separation of us from God. And yet there is still a connection. Maybe it's buried deep and hard to find, but it is there. In a football stadium are different teams and fans taking different sides, but they are all there out of love for the spirit of the football game. We all are of the same human spirit breathed into us by God. We are our brother's keeper, and everyone is our neighbor that we are commanded to love as ourselves. One of the aspects of mysticism is that, because it is not a set of rules but a relationship with our Source, God, we begin to understand that everyone's relationship is personal and individual. True, mysticism is not Christianity. But Christianity is mystical through and through, and this book explores that innate and intimate component. I am also impressed with the author's listing of Christian mystic sources at the end of the book. Many directions are pointed at for further study, though as the author states, the best source is the Bible itself.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A book for beginners
*by J***L on October 22, 2012*

This book is a good choice for the person who needs to be encouraged to try the classical Christian approach to contemplative prayer and mysticism. If you have an interest, but have no idea where to start, this book may get you over the hump. If, however, you have already done some exploration of the works of Underhill, Pennington, Merton, St. John of the Cross,Teresa of Avila, and the like, this book will likely disappoint you. It would also be ideal as a small group or Sunday School discussion-starter. The author is a committed Roman Catholic, and his approach is clearly colored by his background. That does not offend anyone, like me, who is from the Western Christian tradition, but I wonder how well received it would be by an Orthodox Christian, not to mention someone from the Eastern traditions like Buddhism or Hinduism. We all are shaped by our own culture and our own experience, but it helps when we are well versed in other religions and their perspective if we attempt to describe them or comment upon them. McColman is unconvincing in his treatment of those other mystics. The book does have a useful bibliography and reading list in the appendix, which is strongest in its treatment of Roman Christian authors and mystics. My own perspective is that this is not a book which you will keep on your shelf very long, no matter how useful it becomes to you. If it succeeds for you, you will quickly move on to others which you will want to keep around; if it disappoints you, you will want to give it away. For that reason, I suggest that you purchase the Kindle edition, as I did. The reading list will always be there in the Cloud for reference, and my shelf space can be saved for books I need to pick up and show to other folks.

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