Why the Mystics Matter Now

The seven Christian Mystics featured in this book owe Dr. Bauerschmidt an inestimable debt of gratitude for resurrecting them and revealing the timeless relevance and breathtaking beauty of their essential teachings. The practical applications of wisdom, razor-sharp interpretations, and pellucid insights about their personal lives and higher purpose are communicated with an elegant and lively writing style ... that is so very entertaining and engaging. The Introduction alone is a brilliant overview that demystifies the meaning of mysticism!

I am so pleased that I purchased this book on a lark as I am usually swayed by what others write on the back conver. Here there was nothing. But the content is well written convering a difficult and perplexing subject. The auther makes the mystics he chooses come alive and explains their contributions in a way that I am finally beginning to understand. They are not called mystics for notheng as much ot their work is at times incomprehensible---but not so to Dr Bauerschmidt. He is a talented writer and expositor of complex ideas.

Compiled and written by Frederick Bauerschmidt (Associate Professor of Theology, Loyola College, Maryland), Why The Mystics Matter Now is an introductory primer showcasing the wisdom of Christian mystic spirituality. Invitingly simple yet keenly insightful commentaries respecting seven great Christian mystics down through history, induct the readers into the art of opening their own minds and souls to God. An excellent introduction to better understanding mysticism, Why The Mystics Matter Now features Thomas Merton, Therese of Lisieux, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, Ignatius of Loyola, and Catherine of Siena.