Light, Life, and Love - Selections from the German Mystics of the Middle Ages
TO most English readers the "Imitation of Christ" is the representative of mediaeval German mysticism. In reality, however, this beautiful little treatise belongs to a period when that movement had nearly spent itself. Thomas a Kempis, as Dr. Bigg has said,was only a semi-mystic. He tones down the most characteristic doctrines of Eckhart, who is the great original thinker of the German mystical school, and seems in some ways to revert to an earlier type of devotional literature.
The "Imitation" may perhaps be described as an idealised picture of monastic piety, drawn at a time when the life of the cloister no longer filled a place of unchallenged usefulness in the social order of Europe. To find German mysticism at its strongest we must go back a full hundred years, and to understand its growth we must retrace our steps as far as the great awakening of the thirteenth century—the age of chivalry in religion—the age of St. Louis, of Francis and Dominic, of Bonaventura and Thomas Aquinas. It was a vast revival, bearing fruit in a new ardour of pity and charity, as well as in a healthy freedom of thought
Book Details
About This Edition
This PDFBooksWorld edition has been prepared for comfortable digital reading, with a clear layout and typography designed for modern screens. It can be read online and is available in supported digital formats.
Public Domain Information: Light, Life, and Love - Selections from the German Mystics of the Middle Ages is identified by us as a public-domain work in the United States based on its publication history and applicable copyright terms. Copyright status can differ between countries, so readers should consider the laws applicable to their location.
Read or Download
Read this edition online or choose a digital format for convenient reading on your preferred device. Registered users can download the available editions, while visitors can read the book online and log in to access the download options.
