Mysticism Across Traditions
Contemplative classics of East and West, read side by side.
6 stagesIntroductionFoundationPrimary SourcesDevelopmentAdvanced Study
This path reads the great contemplatives of several traditions in turn. It begins with a modern map of the mystical life, then reads Christian, Hindu and Daoist classics, and ends with the visionary theosophy of Jacob Boehme.
Who This Path Is For
Readers who want the classics of contemplative literature, read comparatively but without flattening differences.
The Syllabus
1
Introduction
Introductory text
Evelyn Underhill’s maps of the mystical life.
2
Foundation
Foundational text
The fourteenth-century English guide to contemplative prayer.
3
Primary Sources
Major development
The Carmelite mystics’ accounts of the soul’s ascent.
4
Primary Sources
Eastern counterparts
The contemplative scriptures of India and China.
5
Development
Advanced and interpretive
Boehme and Ruysbroeck: speculative, visionary mysticism.
The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage
Jan van Ruysbroeck
6
Advanced Study
Optional related reading
The most widely read devotional book in Christian history.
