The Spiritual Life: A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology

by Adolphe Tanquerey, Herman Banderis (Translation), Hermenegild (Preparation)

This is an excellent work for confessors and directors of souls as well as for religious and laity, who wish to follow a truly spiritual life. There is much practical advice in these over 800 pages. The principles of the spiritual life are clearly outlined in this work. This is not an exhaustive treatise on the spiritual life, but rather an outline which may serve as the basis for deeper study. However, in order to avoid the dryness of a mere outline it was deemed necessary to develop the most important points of the spiritual life, such as, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the soul, our incorporation into Christ, the role of the Blessed Virgin in our sanctification, the nature of Christian perfection and the duty of striving after it. For the same reason the essential characteristics of the Three Ways are stressed in the Second Part of this treatise. It is the writer's conviction that Dogma is the foundation of Ascetical Theology and that an exposition of what God has done and still does for us is the most efficacious motive of true devotion. Hence, care has been taken to recall briefly the truths of faith on which the spiritual life rests. This treatise then is first of all doctrinal in character and aims at bringing out the fact that Christian perfection is the logical outcome of dogma, especially of the central dogma of the Incarnation. The work however is also practical, for a vivid realization of the truths of faith is the strongest incentive to earnest and steady efforts towards the correction of faults and the practice of virtues. Consequently in the first part of this treatise the practical conclusions that naturally flow from revealed truths and the general means of perfection are developed. The second part contains a more detailed exposition of the special means of advancing along the Three Ways towards the heights of perfection. This book has been written chiefly for seminarians and priests. It is the writer's hope however that it may also prove useful to Religious and even to such of the laity as are seeking to live a thoroughly Christian life and thus fit themselves for the lay-apostolate. The author has developed first and foremost the teachings commonly received in the Church and has given but little space to disputed questions. There are of course various Schools of spirituality, but the more discriminating writers in all of them are of one mind on all that is of real importance for the direction of souls. It is such teachings as these that the author has tried to expose in logical and psychological order. If at times the writer shows a certain preference for the spirituality of the French School of the seventeenth century, a spirituality based on the writings of St. Paul and St. John and in complete accord with the doctrines of St. Thomas, he professes nevertheless a sincere esteem for all the other Schools, borrows largely from them and strives to stress the points of agreement rather than the points of difference.

Genres: Spirituality, Theology, Catholic, Religion, Christianity, Philosophy

818 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

A French Sulpician, Adolphe Tanquerey was a one-time teacher at Old St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. Tanquerey was best known by priests and seminarians of the middle part of this century for his three-volume synopses of dogmatic and moral theology. Abbreviated versions of these were affectionately known as “Baby Tanks.”

Reviews

[Tom Willis]

19th century textbook on spiritual theology for seminarians and priests, but still very useful for the layperson. The first 'half' of the book explains how grace works in the soul, while the second 'half' explains how the soul progresses in the spiritual life. I did not actually read the final section, on the unitative way; the illuminative way is, uh more than enough for me to be getting on with.

[Justine Olawsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 600 pages of this book have completely revolutionized my understanding of Christian spirituality. It was the most complete, detailed, and helpful delineation first of the nature of the Christian life and then of the first two stages of Christian perfection that I have ever read and could ever imagine reading. Fr. Tanquerey is an excellent synthesizer of the great sages and practicers of ascetical and mystical theology - and he adds to the mix a wonderful pastoral spirit of his own that brings these complex and unwieldy ideas into concrete steps accessible to any pilgrim heart.

If you have wandered aimlessly all around the Interior Castle and felt lost in the shadows the Dark Nights, Tanquerey is here to help you understand the prayers, practices, pitfalls, and benchmarks of progression in Christian completeness. It is quite nice to have a handbook written by a Sulpician teacher rather than a Carmelite mystic.

The large bent and intended audience for this text seems to be priests and religious who would offer spiritual direction, and there are many helpful passages about how to assist one's penitent in progressing to the next stage. That said, there is plenty to be gleaned for the mere soul who seeks to draw closer to God. Tanquerey approaches spirituality with an alternating severity and warmth - a true shepherd who has every confidence his flock is going to make it back to the fold.

There was certainly an unsettling sense throughout that Tanquerey had a special laser pointed right at my own pet sins - my glibness, my tendency to sacrifice sincerity at the altar of wit, my joy in the fizzy and superficial. That's a sign of a Spirit-soaked tome, though, and I imagine everyone will find his favorite peccadillos skewered in turn.

Once Tanquerey proceeded into the Unitive Way, the book lost me for a bit. There is something strangely untoward about getting too surgical in such a state of spiritual union. It was rather off-putting to read this dissection - like analyzing a marriage from the outside. He got me right back into it with the section on Extraordinary Mystical Phenomena - who doesn't enjoy a foray into things like levitation, luminous emanations, and stigmata? - and the Diabolical type of such phenomena is always chilling to consider. Back into a big yawn with his brief section on Controverted Questions (the picayune differences between various orders' spiritualities), and then a heart-warming and invigorating Epilogue wherein he matches the stages of spiritual life to the liturgical calendar and then draws us close, close, close into the heart of prayer with Jesus and Mary.

Overall, a more than worthy book to explore - and one that belongs on the library shelf of anyone who is serious about growing in Christlikeness.

[booklady]

I hate like anything to set this aside, but I have enough to read with Sacred Scripture and my Carmelite books, so I shall have to return to this later. Thy will be done, LORD. The date abandoned is September 11, 2023.

[Christianclassics · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is undoubtedly the finest, most comprehensive and best respected one volume treatise on the spiritual life ever written. Clear, thorough, easy to read, orthodox, authoritative, beautifully organized, logically developed, lively and practical, the book covers the whole field of spirituality. Solidly based on reason, the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers, Doctors, Saints and eminent spiritual writers of the Church.

[Ona Kiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dense, but genius. Not only is his organization of theology and contemplative practice thorough, deep and broad; his references and footnotes provide a really great guide to further reading. It is a heavy book, and the microfilm version is a bit of a pain to read due to scanning errors, but if you can overlook that sort of thing...

This is a book I will re-read and use as a reference for years.

[Elizabeth Mcnally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impossible task to critique Tanquerey -- I should critique myself instead on how well I applied his teachings, which will be a life-long task. Tanquerey lays out theology very clearly, even for simple and untrained souls like mine. What can I say? Do you really want to find God? Are you ready to start the journey and bare your soul to Him, down to the very foundations? It's a humbling, purifying read, and totally transformative. Hopefully -- prayerfully -- I can apply what I learned.

[Jane Korvemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very comprehensive. Takes a more technical approach, which is appreciated amidst so many spirituality books that sorely lack this.

[Colleen]

Insights and explanations provided by a definitive authority on Catholicism.

[Gerard Migeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for the beginner but an essential book for one who is looking for a practical and extensive guide to deepen the interior life.

[Erik]

Included in the "Spiritual Reading" section of Fr. John McCloskey's 100-book Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan.

[SuzanneG]

This is a great reference book for answers to all kinds of spiritual-life questions.

[Steve Gambino · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic for anyone interested in these sciences.