DOCSLIB.ORG

Janet Hilditch Phd Thesis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Janet Hilditch Phd Thesis B63 1;>C2 >4 C=9=>D7=5. 7BA 7=63@7B0=13 0=2 7BA 7=63@7B>@A 8EQIV 6MOHMVGL 0 BLIUMU AWFPMVVIH JRT VLI 2IKTII RJ ?L2 EV VLI CQMXITUMV[ RJ AV$ 0QHTIYU '-,+ 4WOO PIVEHEVE JRT VLMU MVIP MU EXEMOEFOI MQ @IUIETGL/AV0QHTIYU.4WOOBIZV EV. LVVS.%%TIUIETGL#TISRUMVRT[$UV#EQHTIYU$EG$WN% ?OIEUI WUI VLMU MHIQVMJMIT VR GMVI RT OMQN VR VLMU MVIP. LVVS.%%LHO$LEQHOI$QIV%'&&()%(+-* BLMU MVIP MU STRVIGVIH F[ RTMKMQEO GRS[TMKLV BLMU MVIP MU OMGIQUIH WQHIT E 1TIEVMXI 1RPPRQU ;MGIQUI The Cloud of Unknowing: Its Inheritance and its Inheritors by JANET HILDITCH Thesis submitted in application for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Divinity, St. Mary's. College at the University of St. Andrews 1987 NI ' , ý/ llRýANý - I certify that Janet Hilditch has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution of the University Court, 1967, No. 1 (as amended), and is qualified to submit this thesis in application for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. --J, ,,,r I was admitted as ,a researc student under Ordinance 350 (General No. 12) on 1 October 1981 ad as a candidate for the degree of Ph. D. under Resolution of the University Court, 1967, No. 1 (as amended) on 1 October 1982. The following thesis is based on the results of research carried out by myself, in my own composition, and has not previously been presented for a higher degree. The research was carried out in the University of St. Andrews under the supervision of Professor J. K. Cameron. .... ßIU" ... ".. l; In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library, for the time being enforced, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published and that the copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide Library or research worker. Abstract of Thesis 'The Cloud of Unknowing: Its Inheritance and Its Inheritors'. The thesis attempts a portrait of The Cloud in the context of its position in the history of Christian mysticism., That the anonymous work owed much to spiritual writers of the preceding. twelve hundred years is not debatable; what it owed maybe slightly less obvious. The Cloud is essentially a work of Dionysian mysticism, and various writers within that tradition who may have influenced or affected the teaching of The Cloud are examined. At the same time, however, the anonymous writer owes much to the western tradition of Augustinian theology, and the role of this, complementary to the Dionysian mysticism, is also considered. In Chapter II we look at the theological doctrine underlying the mystical doctrine of the Cloud corpus. Chapter III has two major parts, both concerned with the influence of The Cloud on the subsequent development of spiritual writing in England. The first considers the relationship with Walter Hilton. The second examines aspects of Puritan thought which may indicate that the influence of The Cloud, after the Reformation, was not restricted to Catholic thought. I wish to thank a number of people who have contributed to the' producing of this work. My supervisor, Professor J. K. Cameron, for all his help and encouragement. Katherine Roberts for the hours and the effort put into the immaculate typing. My parents, who have helped more than they can know. My husband; who has helped and supported me in every way imaginable; and our son, whose contribution is rather harder to define. Thank you very much, all of you. a CONTENTS Preface: The Current State of Research on The Cloud. p. 1: Chapter I: The Influences on The Cloud. i) The Dionysian Tradition, p. 9 ii) The Augustinian Tradition, p. 59 Chapter II: The Theology of The Cloud. p. 93 Chapter III: The Influences of The Cloud. i) The late Middle-Ages, p. 148 ii) An unacknowledged influence in English spirituality? p. 170 Afterword: p. 208 PREFACE: THE CURRENTSTATE OF RESEARCHON THE CLOUD Christian spirituality, and specifically mysticism, is currently enjoying a major resurgence of interest, not simply among devout lay-men, but also among scholars of Christian theology, a fact borne witness to both by the numbers of books and articles now appearing on the subject, and by the many new editions of actual mystical texts which now crowd the shelves of all theological bookshops. Amongthose many rediscovered works is The Cloud of Unknowing, its very title an invitation to study and read. Many aspects of the work, and the six other treatises almost' ' certainly all penned by the same author have been'considered by its commentators - including, very intriguingly, a comparison with Zen Buddhism'; it may even seem that the last word has been spoken on The Cloud, that every one of its ideas and utterances has been thoroughly examined, and all that is left to would-be commentators is to comment on their fore-runners. Relatively few books are given over entirely to the Cloud corpus, the bulk of study is to be found in general books about mysticism, books on the English mystics in particular, and numerous articles. But among these, a great deal of ground has already been covered, and the major contributor to the collective work, on The Cloud, and undisputed expert, is Phyllis Hodgson. In her editions of all the known works of the author in the EETS series, complete with comprehensive introductions, and in numerous articles, she shows herself equally conversant with all the major issues of theology, background sources and influences, 2 and possible authorship. The other major contributors include Dom David Knowles, Dom Justin McCann, Evelyn Underhill, J. P. H. Clark, Fr. Constantino Nieva and Fr. William Johnston. Study of the manuscripts of the Cloud corpus has been carried out comprehensively by Dr.. Hodgson, who has collated all the information available on each of the seventeen existing manuscripts, which, along with her minute textual study, contributes much to our knowledge of other areas of interest, for example the history of its dissemination, its possible sources, and even the question of authorship. The issue of authorship is one which, indeed, seemed for a long time to dominate all study, even over and above that of the content of the works. However, we must ask whether the answer is any nearer than it was in 1500 when Grenehalgh first attempted to end the mystery by identifying the anonymous man with Walter Hilton. {Hilton is undoubtedly the most serious contender for the title, his claims being considered over and again in this century aloneýby Dom Noetinger2', DomMcCann3, Dr. Hodgson4, Ms. Gardner5, and Fr. Nieva6. It would certainly. be a convenient solution, but it is-by no means a convincing one. The relationship between the author of The Cloud and Hilton is discussed at length below; suffice it to say here that, inuthis thesis, they are not regarded as being one and the 7 same person. To claim that, as strong evidence shows us, because two men lived in the same area, at the same time, and wrote on the same subject, they were in fact one man, involves. a tremendous leap of logic which in fact is too weak to withstand the weight of other evidence. 3 Inevitable failure to name the man who wished to, remain nameless has led to the attempt to paint a picture of him at least, even if it is impossible to put a name beneath it. Again, a great deal of this must be, conjecture, some of which may be more valuable than the rest. The one certain thing is that he was a mystic well advanced in the contemplative life; as regards anything else, where there is no proof, some conclusions are at least more probable than others. For example, Fr. Nieva seems to wish to intimate that the writer need not necessarily have been an ordained priest8. Against this is his respect for the authority of the priesthood coupled with his own very obvious tone of authority. There is likewise discussion as to whether the author was a recluse, a member of an-enclosed order, or lived as a secular priest. In The Cloud itself we find evidence that he had lived the communal life9, which suggests an order, but not the Carthusian, however tempting this association is when we consider the many links between The Cloud and the, Carthusiansl°. Such discussion, while interesting, is not necessarily enlightening, and it seems that, in the study of The Cloud the chapter on authorship has been winding to a necessarily inconclusive and really-rather welcome close. What the corpus of writings has to say is of far greater value than the identity of its author, and when our - understanding of it is not impaired by his anonymity, it-is perhaps as well-to leave it so. This is not the case, however,, with another area which has likewise already been the subject of much scrutiny and study, namely, the literary sources of The Cloud. As with the 4 authorship, it is a study which can never be 'concluded', but there is both more scope, and more justification, for research in this area. A great deal has been carried out by the afore- mentioned scholars, but it is such a vast field that there still remains much to be done. One very commonfault among studies already carried out is that, *while names are mentioned with great frequency, not much more is done with them, "there is little attempt to describe how St.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ABSTRACT Love Itself Is Understanding: Balthasar, Truth, and the Saints Matthew A. Moser, Ph.D. Mentor: Peter M. Candler, Jr., P
    ABSTRACT Love Itself is Understanding: Balthasar, Truth, and the Saints Matthew A. Moser, Ph.D. Mentor: Peter M. Candler, Jr., Ph.D. This study examines the thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar on the post-Scholastic separation between dogmatic theology and the spirituality of Church, which he describes as the loss of the saints. Balthasar conceives of this separation as a shattering of truth — the “living exposition of theory in practice and of knowledge carried into action.” The consequence of this shattering is the impoverishment of both divine and creaturely truth. This dissertation identifies Balthasar’s attempt to overcome this divorce between theology and spirituality as a driving theme of his Theo-Logic by arguing that the “truth of Being” — divine and creaturely — is most fundamentally the love revealed by Jesus Christ, and is therefore best known by the saints. Balthasar’s attempted re-integration of speculative theology and spirituality through his theology of the saints serves as his critical response to the metaphysics of German Idealism that elevated thought over love, and, by so doing, lost the transcendental properties of Being: beauty, goodness, and truth. Balthasar constructively responds to this problem by re-appropriating the ancient and medieval spiritual tradition of the saints, as interpreted through his own theological master, Ignatius of Loyola, to develop a trinitarian and Christological ontology and a corresponding pneumatological epistemology, as expressed through the lives, and especially the prayers, of the saints. This project will follow the structure and rhythm of Balthasar’s Theo-Logic in elaborating the initiatory movement of his account of truth: phenomenological, Christological, and pneumatological.
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Merton and Zen 143
    Thomas Merton and Zen 143 period of years I talked with Buddhists, with and without interpreters, as well as with Christian experts in Buddhist meditation, in Rome, Tokyo, Kyoto, Bangkok, and Seoul. Then, in 1992, I came across a book on Korean Zen. I do not have the patience for soto Zen. And I had dab­ bled in rinzai Zen, with the generous and kind help of K. T. Kadawoki at Sophia University in Tokyo; but I was a poor pupil, got nowhere, and gave up quickly. Thomas Merton and Zen I found Korean Zen, a form of rinzai, more aggressive; it insists on questioning. Sitting in the Loyola Marymount University library in Los Angeles, reading a book on Korean Zen, I experienced en­ Robert Faricy lightenment. And it lasted. Later, my library experience was verified independently by two Korean Zen masters as an authentic Zen en­ lightenment experience. In the book Contemplative Prayer 1 Thomas Merton presents his In the spring of 1993, after several months of teaching as a mature thought on Christian contemplation. The problem is this: visiting professor at Sogang University in Seoul, I went into the moun­ Merton's last and most important writing on contemplation can be, tains not far inland from Korea's southern coast to a hermitage of the and often is, misunderstood. Contemplative prayer, as described by main monastery of the Chogye order, Songwang-sa, for three weeks of Merton in the book, can appear solipsistic, self-centered, taking the Zen meditation. It was an intensive and profound experience. Among center of oneself as the object of contemplation, taking the same per­ other things, it brought me back to another reading of Contemplative son contemplating as the subject to be contemplated.
    [Show full text]
  • Great Cloud of Witnesses.Indd
    A Great Cloud of Witnesses i ii A Great Cloud of Witnesses A Calendar of Commemorations iii Copyright © 2016 by The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America Portions of this book may be reproduced by a congregation for its own use. Commercial or large-scale reproduction for sale of any portion of this book or of the book as a whole, without the written permission of Church Publishing Incorporated, is prohibited. Cover design and typesetting by Linda Brooks ISBN-13: 978-0-89869-962-3 (binder) ISBN-13: 978-0-89869-966-1 (pbk.) ISBN-13: 978-0-89869-963-0 (ebook) Church Publishing, Incorporated. 19 East 34th Street New York, New York 10016 www.churchpublishing.org iv Contents Introduction vii On Commemorations and the Book of Common Prayer viii On the Making of Saints x How to Use These Materials xiii Commemorations Calendar of Commemorations Commemorations Appendix a1 Commons of Saints and Propers for Various Occasions a5 Commons of Saints a7 Various Occasions from the Book of Common Prayer a37 New Propers for Various Occasions a63 Guidelines for Continuing Alteration of the Calendar a71 Criteria for Additions to A Great Cloud of Witnesses a73 Procedures for Local Calendars and Memorials a75 Procedures for Churchwide Recognition a76 Procedures to Remove Commemorations a77 v vi Introduction This volume, A Great Cloud of Witnesses, is a further step in the development of liturgical commemorations within the life of The Episcopal Church. These developments fall under three categories. First, this volume presents a wide array of possible commemorations for individuals and congregations to observe.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cloud of Unknowing Pdf Free Download
    THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Anonymous | 138 pages | 20 May 2011 | Aziloth Books | 9781908388131 | English | Rookhope, United Kingdom The Cloud of Unknowing PDF Book He writes in Chapter But again, in this very failure of understanding, in the Dionysian formula, we know by unknowing. A similar image is used in the Cloud line and Book Three, poem 9, of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy, where the First Mover calls back the souls scattered throughout the universe "like leaping flames" trans. In the end, as The Cloud's author insists: " If you want to find your soul, look at what your love"--and, I would add, at who loves you! Nought occurs also in Chapter Eighteen, lines , as a term derogatorily applied to contemplation by those who do not understand it; and, in Chapter Forty-four, by recommending to the contemplative a sorrow connected with the fact that he simply exists or is line , the author evokes a deeply ontological variation of this "nothing" that suggests the longing of contingency for absolute being. Perhaps my favorite thing about this book, however, is the anonymous writer. The analysis of tempered sensuality, motivated by reflections on the resurrection and ascension, is the author's last treatment of the powers of the soul, knowledge of which keeps the contemplative from being deceived in his effort to understand spiritual language and experience lines In the first mansion of the Temple of God which is the soul, understanding and affectivity operate naturally in the natural sphere, although helped by illuminating grace. Whether we prefer Ignatius' way of images or the image-less way of The Cloud, all prayer is a simple reaching out to God what The Cloud calls ' a naked intent for God' and allowing God to reach back to us.
    [Show full text]
  • Spiritual Practice – Centering Prayer
    CHRIST CHURCH CHRISTIANA HUNDRED Lent in Youth Ministry LENT 2021: THE WAY www.christchurchde.org/lent Week of 2/17-23: The Way of Lament Spiritual Practice – Centering Prayer The Method of Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating Centering Prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer. Rather, it adds depth of meaning to all prayer and facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer—verbal, mental, or affective prayer—into a receptive prayer of resting in God. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Him. The source of Centering Prayer, as in all methods leading to contemplative prayer, is the Indwelling Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The focus of Centering Prayer is the deepening of our relationship with the living Christ. The effects of Centering Prayer are ecclesial, as the prayer tends to build communities of faith and bond the members together in mutual friendship and love. Wisdom Saying of Jesus Centering Prayer is based on the wisdom saying of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you” – Matthew 6:6.
    [Show full text]
  • The Complete Cloud of Unknowing Paraclete Giants
    THE COMPLETE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING PARACLETE GIANTS About This Series: Each Paraclete Giant presents collected works of one of Christianity’s great- est writers—“giants” of the faith. These essential volumes share the pivotal teachings of leading Christian figures throughout history with today’s theological students and all people seeking spiritual wisdom. Also in this Series… THE COMPLETE FÉNELON Edited with translations by Robert J. Edmonson, cj and Hal M. Helms THE COMPLETE JULIAN OF NORWICH Translation and commentary by Father John-Julian, ojn THE COMPLETE THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX Edited with translations by Robert J. Edmonson, cj THE COMPLETE MADAME GUYON Edited with translations by the Rev. Nancy C. James, PhD THE COMPLETE IMITATION OF CHRIST Translation and commentary by Father John-Julian, ojn THE COMPLETE FRANCIS OF ASSISI Edited, translated, and introduced by Jon M. Sweeney For more information, visit www.paracletepress.com. PARACLETE GIANTS The C OMPLETE OF OF with The Letter of Privy Counsel Translation and Commentary by Father John-Julian, OJN Paraclete Press BREWSTER, MASSACHUSETTS For John Patrick Hedley Clark, d who best knows The Cloud, and for James Hogg, who has told the rest of the world. 2015 First Printing The Complete Cloud of Unknowing: with The Letter of Privy Counsel Copyright © 2015 by The Order of Julian of Norwich ISBN 978-1-61261-620-9 The Paraclete Press name and logo (dove on cross) are trademarks of Paraclete Press, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The complete Cloud of unknowing : with the Letter of privy counsel / translation and commentary by Father John-Julian, OJN.
    [Show full text]
  • The Deformed Face of Truth in Erasmus, Montaigne and Shakespeare’S the Merchant of Venice’ Author: Sam Hall Source: Exegesis (2013) 1, Pp
    Title: ‘The Deformed Face of Truth in Erasmus, Montaigne and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice’ Author: Sam Hall Source: Exegesis (2013) 1, pp. 21-31 The Deformed Face of Truth in Erasmus, Montaigne and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice Sam Hall I All humaine thynges are lyke the Silenes or double images of Alcibiades, have two faces much vnlyke and dissemble that outwardly seemed death, yet looking within ye shoulde fynde it lyfe and on the other side what seemed lyfe, to be death: what fayre to be foule what riche, beggarly: what cunnyng, rude: what strong, feeble […] Breifly, the Silenus ones beying vndone and disclosed, ye shall fynde all things [are] tourned into a new semblance [sic] Erasmus1 In The Symposium Alcibiades suggests that Socrates is akin to a ‘Silenus statue’.2 This is because there is an absolute disjunction between the philosopher’s foolish appearance in the world—his notorious ugliness, his incessant infatuations with beautiful young men, his poverty—and the ‘moderation’, ‘strength’ and ‘beauty’3 of his innermost thoughts, which ‘despised all things for which other mortals run their races’.4 These statues, observes Erasmus in his famous adage ‘Sileni Alcibiades’ (1515), were commonly carved in the shape of Bacchus’ tutor Silenus, ‘the court buffoon of the gods of poetry’ (CWE, 34, p. 264). They were ‘small figure[s] of carved wood, so made that they could be divided and opened. […] When they were closed they looked like a caricature of a hideous flute-player, when opened they suddenly displayed a deity’ (CWE, p.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cloud of Unknowing 1 PRAYER to the HOLY SPIRIT (All) I
    3/4/2016 The Cloud of Unknowing 1 PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (All) I. HISTORICAL CONTEXT (Paul Pham) a. THE AUTHOR OF THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING? b. WHEN DID THE AUTHOR WRITE THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING? c. WHAT WAS HAPPENING THEN? d. WHERE DID HE WRITE? e. WHO ARE THE AUDIENCES? II. BRIEF INTRODUCTION (Paul Pham) III. Marie will do part II of the book report (Maria Mendez-Nunez) Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen. The author remain anonymous A reflection of his humility To search the content, sources and authorship of the Cloud of Unknowing might seem a futile exercise. Scholars have been able to figure out a great deal about the author’s historical context, his sources and his spiritual heritage. Several scholars point to his being a priest and a contemplative monk, likely a Carthusian. The Carthusian Order, Also called the Order of St. Bruno, A Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. Founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 Includes both monks and nuns. Has its own Rule, called the Statutes. 3/4/2016 The Cloud of Unknowing 7 Carthusian is derived from the Chartreuse Mountains; Saint Bruno built his first hermitage in the valley of these mountains in the French Alps The motto "The Cross is steady while the world is turning.“3/4/2016 The Cloud of Unknowing 9 This is the picture of St.
    [Show full text]
  • The Church Fathers
    GOBBH OOQELALU CERO@E LC QEB APPRJMQFLK Studies in the Faith The Church Fathers GOBBH OOQELALU C ER O@ E L C Q EB APPRJMQFLK 1804 Thirteenth Avenue Seattle, Washington 98122-2515 Phone: (206) 323-8557 Fax: (206) 323-1205 Email: officemanager@ assumptionseattle.org Presented by Fr. Dean Kouldukis Page 2 Studies in the Faith THE CHURCH FATHERS “Let us love one another that with one mind we may confess: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Trinity, one in essence and inseparable” (From the Divine Liturgy) READING ASSIGNMENTS Welcome to the Orthodox Church: by Frederica Mathewes-Green, Pages 68-84 “Impact Pray-ers”: in Christian History, Vol. 16, No. 2, Pages 28-31. “Getting Their Act Together”: in Christian History, Vol. 18, No. 4, Pages 34-37. St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians: 1:1 - 5:28. VIDEO Introduction to Orthodoxy Videos - Patristics: The Fathers of the Church (Discovering Orthodox Christianity) https://www.goarch.org/-/patristics-the-fathers-of-the-church he Holy Bible, and more specifically, the New Testament, does not contain all the doctrine and teachings of T Christ. The Church, which has produced the Bible, does not completely submit itself to only one of the epi- phenomena of its life, even if it is the most authoritative one, the Holy Scriptures. An important part of the teachings and doctrine of Christ continues to be present and handed down to the generations of Saints through other means and ways that are also part of the life of the Church, a life in the Holy Spirit. One of these ways and means through which Christ's truth comes to us is through the Fathers of the Church.
    [Show full text]
  • Précis of Published Articles of Ernest E. Larkin, O.Carm
    Précis of Published Articles of Ernest E. Larkin, O.Carm. 1) “Amazing Grace,” in Presence, No. 2, Victoria, Australia (July-August, 1974) 3-6. In his keynote address for the first Australian Catholic Charismatic Conference in Melbourne, Australia on 1 June 1974, Fr. Larkin defined the Movement as a “baptism in the Spirit”, a beginning, an awakening to the presence of the Lord in our lives--a personal conversion. The second stage was its organization as a community, “bonds of love with structures” for the group as a whole. The third stage “marking the maturity of the movement...will be social action.” These three interpenetrating stages are complementary tasks for renewal and reconciliation of the world through the power of the Holy Spirit. 2) “Asceticism,” The New Dictionary of Theology (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1987) 64-67. Christian asceticism is positive human strategies for spiritual living in contrast to the classical pagan asceticism which was dualistic and negative, anti-human, anti- body, anti-world. The emphasis of Vatican II was on incarnational theology, looking to total human development. The goal and practice of the new asceticism of our time is the human and divine coinciding. It is the integration of life, personal and social, the search for love and for human authenticity in the relationships of human community. 3) “Asceticism in Modern Life,” Concilium, Theology in the Age of Renewal, Vol. 19, Christian Duquoc, O.P., ed., (New York: Paulist Press, 1966) 100-108. The asceticism of the past was strongly connected with the cross of Christ; the new asceticism as expressed by Teilhard de Chardin is a “union with God through the world.” Detachment dictated the self-abnegation of the old: the Christian of today achieves self-abnegation through love and service of God in others.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works
    HNGU!N � CLASSICS THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING AND OTHER WORKS ADVISORY EDITOR: BETTY RADICE The identity of the author of The Cloud of Unknowing is unknown, but he was undoubtedly an English priest who lived during the latter half of the fourteenth century. Six other works are commonly attributed to the same pen; and their words, style, and language suggest those of a country parson from the East Midlands. CLIFTON WoLTERS was born in London, and trained for the priesthood at Durham University and the London College of Divinity. He was Vicar of Wimbledon Park, Rector of Sanderstead, and later Provost of Newcastle. After retirement, he served as Chaplain to St Margaret's Convent, East Grinstead. He has also translated Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love and Richard Rolle's Fire of Love for the Penguin Classics. Clifton Wolters died in I99!. THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING AND OTHER WORKS TRANS LA TBD INTO MODERN ENGLISH WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY CLIFTON WOLTERS PENGUIN BOOKS PENGUIN BOOKS Published by the PenguinGroup PenguinBooks Ltd, 27 WrigbllLaoc, London W8 STZ, England Penguin BooksUSA Inc., 37S Hudaon St:Ret,New York, New York 10014,USA Penguin BooksAus lrBiiaLtd, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia Penguin Books Canada Lid, 10 AlcornAvenue, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM4V 3B2 Penguin Boolr.s(NZ) Ltd, 182-190Wairau Road,Auclr.land 10, NewZealand Penguin BooksLtd, Rcgilt=d Offil:es:Harmondsworth,Middi CIICX, England This translation of TheClowl of Unknowingfirst published 1961 Reprintedwith TheEpl.ltl� of Priory C01111.Jel, Dlonyslu.r'My:�ticd Teaehblg and TheEpi.Jtle of Prayer 1978 IS 17 19 20 18 16 Copyright©Clifton Wolters, 1961, 1978 All righll rcscrvcd Printedin England by Clays Ltd, St Ivespic Setin Monotypc Bcmbo Except in the United Statesof America, thisis boolr.
    [Show full text]
  • This Lucid New Translation of the Writings of Richard Methley Offers an Intoxicating, Not to Say Spiritually Inebriated, Account of His Search for Union with God
    “This lucid new translation of the writings of Richard Methley offers an intoxicating, not to say spiritually inebriated, account of his search for union with God. An assiduous reader and translator of earlier contemplative texts, he blends together the languor of Richard Rolle, the apophatic austerity of the Cloud-author, the theological intensity of Heinrich Suso and the devotio moderna, and the liquefying ardour of Marguerite Porete. The resulting synthesis produces a new, urgently prophetic voice of meltingly eloquent spiritual longing existing in transcendent tension with the structures of his daily life as a Carthusian.” —Vincent Gillespie J.R.R. Tolkien Professor of English University of Oxford “This book makes available in modern English one of the most significant contributions to the contemplative tradition of fifteenth- century England. By fusing in such a sophisticated way the apophatic and the cataphatic approaches to the contemplative life as part of his experience, Methley’s writings challenge our contemporary desire for categorization and division. The excellent translations by Barbara Newman bring to light the daily mystical experiences and the pastoral concerns of a Carthusian monk following a strict monastic life. Her notes and the outstanding general introduction by Laura Saetveit Miles provide a wealth of information about the rich religious tradition from which Methley’s corpus emerged.” —Denis Renevey Professor of Medieval English Language and Literature University of Lausanne “Newman and Miles have set the table for an affective mystical feast! Laden with elaborate metaphor and devout hyperbole, the works of Richard Methley translated here offer an extraordinarily intimate perspective on late-medieval Carthusian mysticism in England.” —Steven Rozenski University of Rochester, New York “Barbara Newman’s translation of Richard Methley’s original Latin and Middle English works brings this important but little-known mystical writer to wider attention.
    [Show full text]