Mysticism

Dark Night of the Soul

As a Carmelite monk, the 16th-century Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross was well trained in the systematic theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. In Dark Night of the Soul, St. John's sharply organized mind gives clean shape to his mystical belief in a loving Being somewhere outside the realm of feeling, thought, or imagination, who can only be known through love. Dark Night of the Soul describes the process of purgation, first of senses, and then of spirit, that precedes the soul's loving Union with God. To quote from this book would detract from the coiled power of its tightly focused picture of the soul's progress; suffice it to say that there has never been a better book for discouraged Christians. When you cannot understand what or why you believe, but you find yourself unable to abandon faith, look to St. John for help. --Michael Joseph Gross

A Divine Revelation of Hell

Over a period of forty days, God gave Mary K. Baxter visions of hell and commissioned her to tell all to choose life. Here is an account of the place and beings of hell contrasted with the glories of heaven. It is a reminder of the need each of us has for the miracle of salvation.

Journal of the Unknown Prophet

During a ten day period in November of 1999, Wendy Alec received a visitation from the Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke of mercy, He warned of judgment...on the world's trading systems, on ministry leaders...upon the church. He wept. In two separate visitations in 2002, He spoke in anguish of the Last Days assignments against the elect, He warned of the Great Blinding, of seduction, lust and Jezebel and the Great Falling Away... 'My children perish...' Jesus' voice was so soft...that it was barely audible...And then He turned to me, His beautiful countenance ravaged with grief. 'Now warn My children...warn My beloved...that even those in the deepest mire might find their way home...'

A Divine Revelation of Heaven

After thirty nights of experiencing the depths of hell, Mary Baxter was shown the realms of heaven. Included are her descriptions of the order of heaven, what happens to children, and the throne of God. These breathtaking glimpses of heaven will turn your heart toward the beauty and joy that await every believer in Christ.

The Power of Kabbalah: Technology for the Soul

At first glance, The Power of Kabbalah seems like an overly simplistic spiritual instruction manual. The language and anecdotes are rabbi-style cozy and the format is exceptionally approachable: one-to-two-page essays. But read a few pages and you're hooked into an experience that immediately promises enlightenment (and eventually delivers it). Although the Kabbalah has its roots in Jewish mysticism, this non-dogmatic manual is applicable to all spiritual seekers. Like Wayne Dyer's bestselling book The Power of Intention, this is actually a book about manifesting the life you want through understanding the laws of spiritual energy and attraction. "To fulfill its giving nature, the infinite force of Energy created a receiver—-in Kabbalah it's called a Vessel," author Yehuda Berg explains. You guessed it, all of us earth souls represent the Vessel, and our spiritual task is to stop resisting the giving nature of Energy and let our Vessels fill up and runneth over.... This is an obvious choice for students of Jewish mysticism, but it's an equally appropriate book for anyone looking for ancient traditions to support contemporary spiritual discussions about the laws of attraction. --Gail Hudson

The Essential Kabbalah: Heart of Jewish Mysticism, The

Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide

Kaplan shows that meditation is consistent with traditional Jewish thought and practice. The book presents a variety of meditative techniques to help make the reader a better person, and develop a closer relationship to God.

Interior Castle

One of the most celebrated works on mystical theology in existence, as timely today as when St. Teresa of Avila wrote it centuries ago, this is a treasury of unforgettable maxims on self-knowledge and fulfillment.

Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation

Winner of a 2006 Logos Book Award!A Formatio book.Do you long for a deep, fundamental change in your life with God? Do you desire a greater intimacy with God? Do you wonder how you might truly live your life as God created you to live it?Spiritual disciplines are activites that open us to God's transforming love and the changes that only God can bring about in our lives. Picking up on the monastic tradition of creating a "rule of life" that allows for regular space for the practice of the spiritual disciplines, this book takes you more deeply into understanding seven key disciplines along with practical ideas for weaving them into everyday life. Each chapter includes exercises to help you begin the practices--individually and in a group context. The final chapter puts it all together in a way that will help you arrange your life for spiritual transformation.The choice to establish your own sacred rhythm is the most important choice you can make with your life.

The Cloud of Unknowing: and The Book of Privy Counseling (Image Book Original)

"God can be loved but he cannot be thought. He can be grasped by love but never by concepts. So less thinking and more loving."

This is William Johnston's summary of the message of The Cloud of Unknowing. 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. The text first appeared in Middle English in the 14th century, and it has inspired generations of mystical searchers (from St. John of the Cross to Teilhard de Chardin). The mysterious conditions of its composition, however, focus the reader's attention squarely on the book's message--an almost Zen rendering of Christianity, which has a great deal to teach our querulous, doctrine-obsessed churches: "And so I urge you," the author writes, "go after experience rather than knowledge. On account of pride, knowledge may often deceive you, but this gentle, loving affection will not deceive you. Knowledge tends to breed conceit, but love builds. Knowledge is full of labor, but love, full of rest." --Michael Joseph Gross

William Johnston--an authority on fourteenth century spirituality and specifically on the writings of this unknown author--provides a substantive and accessible introduction detailing what is known about the history of this text and its relevance throughout the ages. Also included here is the author's other principal work, The Book of Privy Counseling--a short and moving text on the way to enlightenment through a total loss of self and consciousness only of the divine.