The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works (Penguin Classics)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Trade in The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works (Penguin Classics) for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Plus, get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Product Description
Product Description
Contains The Cloud of Unknowing, The Mystical Theology of Saint Denis, The Book of Privy Counselling, and An Epistle on Prayer. Against a tradition of devotional writings which focussed on knowing God through Christ's Passion and his humanity, these texts describe a transcendent God who exists beyond human knowledge and human language. These four texts are at the heart of medival mystical theology in their call for contemplation, calm, and above all, love, as the way to understand the Divine.
About the Author
The identity of the author of The Cloud of Unknowing is not known, but he was undoubtedly an English priest who lived during the latter half of the 14th century.
A. C. Spearing is Professor of English at the University of Virginia. He has published widely on medieval literature and has translated Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love for Penguin Classics.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
Timothy my friend, whenever by the stirring of divine grace you set yourself to undertake the active exercise of your blind contemplation, see that with strong, prudent and eager contrition you forsake your bodily senses (namely hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch), and also your spiritual senses, otherwise known as your intellectual activities; and all things that can be known outwardly by any of your five bodily senses; and all things that can be known inwardly by your spiritual senses; and all things that now exist or that have existed though they do not now exist; and all things that do not now exist, or that may exist in the future though they do not now exist. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Timothy my friend, whenever by the stirring of divine grace you set yourself to undertake the active exercise of your blind contemplation, see that with strong, prudent and eager contrition you forsake your bodily senses (namely hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch), and also your spiritual senses, otherwise known as your intellectual activities; and all things that can be known outwardly by any of your five bodily senses; and all things that can be known inwardly by your spiritual senses; and all things that now exist or that have existed though they do not now exist; and all things that do not now exist, or that may exist in the future though they do not now exist. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is probably the best translation of this book into modern English. It reads well and is still very true to the original. Underhill's earlier translation is even closer to the original, but sounds awkward in modern English, while Johnston's translation is further away from the original.
60 of 62 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The man who wrote this was a genius. He tells you how to avoid introspection and self-pity and how to proceed up the spiritual path.It is a book which should be read slowly and really enjoyed.A true classic.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A profound set of works not to be approached lightly but to be savoured over a lifetime. The anonymous author of these works was thought to be a Carthusian monk. The most famous of the three works featured is 'The Cloud of Unknowing' -a work that is often cited in books about Christian mysticism. The ideas and concepts have relevance to every age but this is not an easy book to read nor to understand in one sitting (nor possibly a lifetime!). I have found that the meaning within 'the Cloud of Unknowing' becomes clearer when it is referred to in other books in a different context. However, if you wish to pursue the idea of an abstract transcendent God that cannot be understood then you need to gnaw on this book then leave it, contemplate the meaning over much time and yet empty yourself of all pre-conceived ideas of God. The contradictions are like Zen koans or Christian parables. All is paradox. One cannot as a human know the divine but if one works at practical contemplation then maybe, just maybe there will be a glimpse of what underlies our existence.
The language is that of medieval Christianity and can at times be unpalatable to the modern mind but it is worth suspending judgement and focusing in on the symbolism and transferring this symbolism to the modern day world.
A classic that every person seeking the meaning of life ought to read just to know what other writers are referring to when they speak of the 'cloud of unknowing'.
Fascinating, frustrating and fertile.
The language is that of medieval Christianity and can at times be unpalatable to the modern mind but it is worth suspending judgement and focusing in on the symbolism and transferring this symbolism to the modern day world.
A classic that every person seeking the meaning of life ought to read just to know what other writers are referring to when they speak of the 'cloud of unknowing'.
Fascinating, frustrating and fertile.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Cloud of Unknowing
This modern version of "The Cloud of Unknowing" has made the work more intelligible to todays readers by replacing the archaic language of older versions whilst retaining the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by kdv
Do not read!
This is a most intresting book. It's definatley not for everyone and even starts off with a warning from the unknown 1370's writer to not read, speak of or quote the book to anyone... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Chris Morse
the cloud of unknowing
known this book for years,don't need to be a Christian, it is full of honest wisdom a classic of true spirituality.
Published 12 months ago by upanishads
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Fiction > Classics
- Books > Fiction > Literary Fiction
- Books > History > Religious History > Other Religions
- Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Other Religious & Spiritual Practices > Mysticism
- Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Thought & Practice > New Age
- Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > History & Criticism
- Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Poetry > By Period > Classical, Early & Medieval
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Church History
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Mysticism
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
