The Big Book of Christian Mysticism Quotes

“The point behind mysticism is not to dazzle the mind with ecstatic wonders or heady feelings, but to foster real and lasting changes, for the purpose of becoming more like Christ, which is to say, more compassionate, more forgiving, more committed to serving others and making the world a better place.”
― Carl McColman, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality

“The Christian mystic therefore is one for whom God and Christ are not merely objects of belief, but living facts experimentally known first hand; and mysticism for him becomes, in so far as he responds to its demands, a life based on this conscious communion with God”
― Carl McColman, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality

“What do the Christian mystics tell us? That the wisdom they offer us can literally unite us with God—or at the very least, give us such a powerful experience of God's presence that it can revolutionize our lives. The purpose of such transformed lives is not primarily to achieve a goal (like enlightenment or spiritual bliss), but rather to participate in the Holy Spirit's ongoing activity—embodying the flowing love of Christ, love that we in turn give back to God as well as to “our neighbors as ourselves.”
― Carl McColman, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality