Joan M. Nuth is Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio. In this volume, which is a part of the "Traditions of Christian Spirituality Series," she examines the legacy of five English mystics of the fourteenth century. Their works reveal "an intense awareness of God's presence, accompanied by a knowledge and love of God that are recognized as extraordinary."
The poet Richard Rolle, a layperson, is fascinated with the threefold way of purgation, illumination, and union. His poetry is characterized by large doses of affective piety. The anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing presents a map of apophatic contemplation and "guidelines on how to dispose oneself to receive the grace of God." Walter Hilton recognizes that the search for God involves a journey within; he advises traveling light and keeping focused on Jesus. The theologian Julian of Norwich writes ecstatically about the experience of faith, the goodness of the created world, and God's motherly love. Margery Kemp, a pious laywoman, demonstrates the gift of tears as a devotional act of great meaning.
Nuth is convinced that the lives and writings of these English mystics have relevance to the quests of spiritual seekers today. That is why she presents large excerpts from their works so that their contributions to mysticism can be properly appreciated.