Christian Mysticism

At the dawn of the twentieth century, an Oxford divine confronts a crisis of faith: can reason alone grasp the divine, or must we learn to encounter God directly? These eight lectures, delivered at the height of Victorian rationalism, make a bold argument for the legitimacy of mystical experience within Christian theology. William Ralph Inge traces the mystical tradition from the Desert Fathers through medieval contemplatives, mapping the terrain of purification, contemplative prayer, and the soul's union with the divine. He grapples with the definitional puzzles that have haunted mysticism for centuries, distinguishing authentic mystical theology from mere enthusiasm while mounting a sophisticated defense of direct divine encounter. The work stands as both historical survey and passionate apology, arguing that mysticism offers not an escape from reason but its fulfillment. A century later, as interest in contemplative practice surges across traditions, Inge's careful, learned treatment of how the soul learns to "abide in God" retains its power to illuminate one of humanity's deepest questions: what lies beyond the reach of intellect?