Christian Mysticism

by William Ralph Inge

William Ralph Inge's exceptional lectures on mysticism in Christianity are among the most authoritative and well-supported writings on the subject to this day.

This book comprises eight lectures, which together tackle the subject of mystical phenomena in Christian history. The author first acknowledges the difficulty of arriving at a correct definition of the term 'mysticism' itself - the word has been used in a variety of spiritualists, occultists, historians and religious figures of many faiths all employ it with abandon.

For his study, Inge seeks to arrive at a distinctive definition by investigating its origins of 'mysticism' as a concept, beginning in Ancient Greece. Particular attention is drawn to Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, whose own mystical vision of humanity stands as one of the first written in the West. Inge demonstrates that the influence of Plato upon the early Christians and Gnostic sects - exemplified in the life of St. Paul - is substantial.

Mysticism's expression in Christianity continued to evolve after antiquity. The fifth and sixth lectures see Inge navigate the literature of the Medieval period, such as the Theologia Germanica. The lives of certain priests and scholars of the age hold many examples; visions in the form of angels and the Virgin Mary, and religious men informed more by their contemplative inner life close to God as opposed to scholarly, canonical texts.

A respected academic and priest, William Inge lived a life characterized by the study of holy texts and classical antiquity. He was prominent in England, and eventually became Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral. His prolific writings found much appreciation in academic circles; the contents of this book are his contributions to the famous Bampton Lectures of 1899, of Oxford University.

Genres: Religion, Christianity

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1899

About the author

Sir William Ralph Inge was educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge. After taking a double first in Classics, he became a tutor at Hertford College, Oxford, and was made a deacon in the Church of England in 1888. After a time as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, Inge was elected Dean of St. Paul's cathedral in 1911 by Asquith, a position he held until 1934.

During his life, Inge was President of the Aristotelian society, a columnist for the Evening Standard, a fellow of the British Academy, and a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. He received honorary doctorates from Oxford, Aberdeen, Durham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, and St. Andrews. Inge received honorary fellowships from King's and Jesus Colleges, Cambridge, and Hertford College, Oxford.

Reviews

[Jade Aldrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable read. I’d rate it up there with “The Imitation of Christ” if you’re into that sort of thing. IMO, it’s a nice companion to the Bible as it seems to be consistent with Biblical teachings. There’s a quite poignant quote towards the end where he says. “..The human spirit beats against the bars of space and time themselves, and could never be satisfied with any earthly utopia. Our true home must be in some higher sphere of existence, above the contradictions which make it impossible for us to believe that time and space are ultimate realities, and out of reach of the inevitable catastrophe which the next glacial age must bring upon the human race. This world of space and time is to resemble heaven as far as it can; but a fixed limit is set to the amount of the divine plan which can be realized under these conditions. Our hearts tell us of a higher form of existence, in which the doom of death is not merely deferred but abolished. This eternal world we see here through a glass darkly: at best we can apprehend but the outskirts of God’s ways, and hear a small whisper of his voice; but our conviction is that, though our earthly house be dissolved (as dissolved it must be), we have a home not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” And that’s just ONE of the many stellar excerpts you can expect. Not too heavy a read but still manages to go “deep”.

[Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was an enlightening book (really a group of lectures). I appreciated the history of Christian Mysticism that the book discussed. Although this book was somewhat useful to me, I doubt some people would appreciate it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instructive introduction

Inge presents a very helpful overview of Christian Mysticism from a historical development perspective. I especially appreciated the careful explanation of the dangers of specific branches of mysticism. This is an excellent introduction to Christian Mysticism thought.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very deep.