Medieval spiritual writers
By: by Gerard Sitwell
Series: Faith and fact books -- 40; Faith and fact books -- 40.
Publisher: Burns & 0ates
Published: 1961
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 144
Subjects: Mystik; Devotional literature; Spiritualiteit; Christian literature; History and criticism; Frömmigkeit
Description: The Middle Ages from about 1000 to the eve of the Renaissance in the late fifteenth century, witnessed a great flowering of the spiritual life. The author provides a guide to the different movements and trends among writers on the "spiritual science" during this period. Beginning with a discussion of their antecedents in Egyptian monasticism, the writings of Cassian and the Rule of St. Benedict, he goes on to analyze the contemplative spirituality developed by monastic writers from John of Fécamp through St. Bernard and William of St. Thierry and the German nuns such as St. Gertrude and St. Mechtilde to the new trends which become discernible in Dominican and Franciscan spirituality. The mystical movement of the fourteenth century and the growth of speculative contemplation are examined as they appear in the works of the Rhineland mystics and the English group represented by Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, Julian of Norwich and the author of The Cloud of the Unknowing. A final chapter discusses the Imitation of Christ, the other writings of Thomas à Kempis, Gerson and Denis the Carthusian and the emergence of "spiritual exercises" in Mauburnus and Garcia de Cisneros. [Back cover].
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 141-144).

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Table of contents: title: Introduction: Medieval spirituality; title: 1. The background: Egyptian monasticism; title: Cassian; title: St Benedict; title: 2. Spirituality from the eleventh to the fourteenth centruy: Eleventh-century Benedictine spirituality; title: John of Fécamp; title: Hermits: St Romuald, St John Gualbert, St Peter Damian; title: Devotion to Christ; title: Peter of Celle; title: The Cistercians; title: St Bernard; title: St Aelred; title: William of St Thierry; title: The Carthusians; title: The German nuns: SS. Hildegarde, Elizabeth, Gertrude and Mechtilde; title: The Victorines; title: The thirteenth century: Dominicans and Franciscans; title: 3. The mystical movement of the fourteenth century: The German school; title: Eckhart; title: Tauler; title: Suso; title: Ruysbroeck; title: The English mystics; title: Richard Rolle; title: The Cloud of Unknowing; title: Walter Hilton; title: Julian of Norwich; title: Summary; title: 4. The fifteenth century: The Imitation of Christ; title: Other writings of Thomas à Kempis; title: Gerson; title: Denis the Carthusian; title: Spiritual exercises; title: Mauburnus; title: Garcia de Cisneros; title: Select bibliography.