Elisabeth Hense and Joseph Chalmers, editors
2023 | 401 p. | ISBN: 978-88-7288-221-4

The Dutch Carmelite priest and professor of philosophy, Titus Brandsma, did groundbreaking work on mysticism. He built up a photographic collection of Middle Dutch manuscripts of spiritual literature, each photographed manuscript being accompanied by a description and some information about its spiritual contents. Working at a time when Eastern mysticism was often depicted negatively, before the influence of Orthodox theologians and spiritual figures who had left Russia following the 1917 revolution, had really begun to be felt, Brandsma spoke enthusiastically and positively about the contribution that Eastern mysticism could make in the West. He also treated what was called pseudo-mysticism with respect, as he believed it was possible to encounter there a beautiful revelation of the longing for God, a spark or a seed laid in the hearts of human beings. Brandsma lectured widely on Carmelite mysticism, including a lecture tour in the USA. He wrote numerous articles on important figures in the history of mysticism, with particular emphasis on the Low Countries, and he was asked to write an article on the history of Carmelite spirituality in a prestigious French publication. His insights on mysticism were partly taken up and further developed by the Second Vatican Council and by post-conciliar theology. Titus Brandsma was canonized in May 2022.

In this volume, we present writings on

- Dutch mysticism,

- The difference between Eastern and Western mysticism,

- The difference between mysticism and pseudo-mysticism,

- Carmelite mysticism,

- How to define mysticism.

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