In The Spiritual Way: Classic Traditions and Contemporary Practice, Philip Sheldrake aims to make the wisdom of Christian spirituality better known to contemporary readers. After an introductory chapter on the foundations of Christian spirituality, Sheldrake describes its diverse riches through the centuries in terms of five distinctive types of Christian spiritual wisdom, illustrated by a rich selection of classical examples. The five types are "The Way of Discipline," "The Contemplative-Mystical Way," "The Way of Practical Action," "The Way of Beauty," and "The Prophetic Way." This book also briefly explores the contemporary interest in spirituality within and beyond conventional religion and suggests how we might engage with these five types on our spiritual journeys in today's world.

Francis of Assisi as Artist of the Spiritual Life applies modern psychological understanding to a historical person. While most such studies have sought a comprehensive personality profile, this work focuses on one aspect — Francis' imagination — and seeks greater insight into the imaginatively inspired spiritual vision of St. Francis. An analysis of Francis' writings builds on a survey of modern views of the imagination and the approach of ORT, or Object Relations Theory. ORT, with its contention that the imaginative creation of an infant's world develops out of the earliest interactions with the maternal caregiver, highlights the way Francis formed his way of visualizing the reality around him. While any study of a person 800 years in the grave is more dependent on what is plausible than on what is determinable, this study finds numerous examples where Francis' writings display an adept use of imagination and even encourages others in that use in a manner that corresponds to an ORT perspective on tutoring the imagination.

This is a beautiful hard bound book. The Inquisition ordered this book to the Church's "Index Expurgatorius," and Molinos was condemned to life imprisonment for writing about a personal relationship with God through intense devotion, internal reflection and meditation. After all, what would happen to the Church if the people didn't feel they needed it anymore?A table of content was added in front of this edition rather than at the end like the original. Additionally we have prominently displayed the chapter on top of each page to make the text easier to navigate.We have resisted the temptation to "English the text," preferring instead to maintain historical accuracy which the Old English affords scholars.Whether your interest is in Scientific Illuminism, comparative religion, religious history or simple curiosity, we know that our edition of this important work will make a lasting impression upon you. This book is hard bound, and designed to last for many years.

An intriguing exploration of the great transition between life and the after-life.

The Blessed Jan van Ruysbroeck was one of the Flemish mystics. This edition contains his most important writings: The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage The Sparking Stone The Book of the Supreme Truth