The Origins Of The Christian Mystical Tradition From Plato To Denys 2nd Edition Andrew Louth by Andrew Louth 9780198266686, 0198266685 instant download after payment.

Scholars of the patristic era have paid more attention to the dogmatic tradition in their period than to the development of Christian mystical theology. Andrew Louth aims to redress the balance. Recognizing that the intellectual form of this tradition was decisively influenced by Platonic ideas of the soul's relationship to God, Louth begins with an examination of Plato and Platonism. The discussion of the Fathers which follows shows how the mystical tradition is at the heart of their thought and how the dogmatic tradition both moulds and is the reflection of mystical insights and concerns. This new edition of a classic study of the diverse influences upon Christian spirituality includes a new Afterword which brings the text completely up to date. Book jacket.

Review

Praise for the first edition: "A book on spirituality which is trenchant and without any touch of sentimentality."--Henry Chadwick, TLS

"It is a great merit in this book that it is ready to talk about dogma and indeed tries to unite, in the spirit of the Fathers, doctrine and spirituality."--Journal of Theological Studies

"A splendid survey of patristic spirituality ... Here we find not merely the often-repeated statement that theology and spirituality are inseparable in the Fathers, but a careful demonstration of this."--New Fire

"The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition [is] a standard resource for students of this topic for a quarter of a century."--M. J. Edwards, The Classical Review

Book Description

Now in a new edition--the classic account with a new epilogue!

About the Author

Andrew Louth is Professor of Patristic and Byzantine Studies, University of Durham.