The Books of Contemplation

The Books of Contemplation PDF Author: Mark Verman
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438422881
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 283

Get Book

Book Description
The earliest medieval Jewish mystical writings, or kabbalah, date from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. This is the first book to focus on the most prodigious group active at that time—the 'Circle of Contemplation'. The 'Circle of Contemplation' generated a mystical theology that differs radically from mainstream kabbalistic theosophy. Two of this group's penetrating speculations on God and the origins of the universe are The Book of Contemplation and The Fountain of Wisdom. A meticulous and systematic study of these writings forms the core of this book. Verman discovered that the 'Circle of Contemplation' produced a series of distinct treatises, each entitled The Book of Contemplation and attributed to the same fictitious author. These treatises, embodying one of the most intriguing puzzles of medieval literature, are included here. The author concludes that these writings were a product of thirteenth-century Spain, not France, as claimed by Gershom Scholem. His conclusion engendered a critical evaluation of the premises of Scholem's historiography of early medieval Jewish mysticism.

The Books of Contemplation

The Books of Contemplation PDF Author: Mark Verman
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438422881
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 283

Get Book

Book Description
The earliest medieval Jewish mystical writings, or kabbalah, date from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. This is the first book to focus on the most prodigious group active at that time—the 'Circle of Contemplation'. The 'Circle of Contemplation' generated a mystical theology that differs radically from mainstream kabbalistic theosophy. Two of this group's penetrating speculations on God and the origins of the universe are The Book of Contemplation and The Fountain of Wisdom. A meticulous and systematic study of these writings forms the core of this book. Verman discovered that the 'Circle of Contemplation' produced a series of distinct treatises, each entitled The Book of Contemplation and attributed to the same fictitious author. These treatises, embodying one of the most intriguing puzzles of medieval literature, are included here. The author concludes that these writings were a product of thirteenth-century Spain, not France, as claimed by Gershom Scholem. His conclusion engendered a critical evaluation of the premises of Scholem's historiography of early medieval Jewish mysticism.

The Book of Contemplation

The Book of Contemplation PDF Author: Usama ibn Munqidh
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141919175
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 428

Get Book

Book Description
The volume comprises lightly annotated translation of a key medieval Arabic text that bears directly on the Crusades and Crusader society and the Muslim experience of them.

New Seeds of Contemplation

New Seeds of Contemplation PDF Author: Thomas Merton
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 1590300491
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Get Book

Book Description
A collection of thirty-nine short essays in which Thomas Merton examines what true contemplation is and how it can impact one's spirituality.

The Inner Experience

The Inner Experience PDF Author: Thomas Merton
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062245082
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 192

Get Book

Book Description
Now in paperback, revised and redesigned: This is Thomas Merton's last book, in which he draws on both Eastern and Western traditions to explore the hot topic of contemplation/meditation in depth and to show how we can practice true contemplation in everyday life. Never before published except as a series of articles (one per chapter) in an academic journal, this book on contemplation was revised by Merton shortly before his untimely death. The material bridges Merton's early work on Catholic monasticism, mysticism, and contemplation with his later writing on Eastern, especially Buddhist, traditions of meditation and spirituality. This book thus provides a comprehensive understanding of contemplation that draws on the best of Western and Eastern traditions. Merton was still tinkering with this book when he died; it was the book he struggled with most during his career as a writer. But now the Merton Legacy Trust and experts have determined that the book makes such a valuable contribution as his major comprehensive presentation of contemplation that they have allowed its publication.

The Book of Contemplation, 39

The Book of Contemplation, 39 PDF Author:
Publisher: Fons Vitae
ISBN: 9781941610558
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Get Book

Book Description
The Book of Contemplation is the thirty-ninth of the forty Books of The Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya' 'ulum al-din) and the very last to appear in English translation. Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's purpose in this Book is to explain the nature and importance of contemplation, or reflection, as an act that enriches the thinking person with increased knowledge of, and wonder at, the Creator and His creation. In Part 1, he defines and introduces the subject, explaining its importance with reference to the Qur'an, Hadiths, and sayings of wise and pious Muslims. In Part 2, he expounds his own highly original views as to the nature and fruits of contemplation. Part 3 offers detailed guidance on the most appropriate and beneficial subjects for reflection, some relating to human traits and actions and others to Divine Attributes and Actions. In Part 4, he explores in detail aspects of God's creation, which, when viewed with an observant eye and considered with a worshipful heart, are full of wonders and offer an inexhaustible scope for reflection - from the artistry of the spider and bee to the unimaginable vastness of the heavens, which themselves are dwarfed by what lies beyond them.

A Sunlit Absence

A Sunlit Absence PDF Author: Martin Laird
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 0195378725
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 209

Get Book

Book Description
In his sequel to the best-selling Into the Silent Land, Martin Laird guides the reader more deeply into the sanctuary of Christian meditation. He focuses here on negotiating key moments of difficulty on the contemplative path, showing how the struggles we resist become vehicles of the healing silence we seek. With clarity and grace Laird shows how we can move away from identifying with our turbulent, ever-changing thoughts and emotions to the cultivation of a "sunlit absence"--the luminous awareness in which God's presence can most profoundly be felt.

The Art of Contemplation

The Art of Contemplation PDF Author: Richard Rudd
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781913820145
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
An exquisite gem of a book, this deceptively simple technique of contemplation can be learned in a single day, and yet it will change your life forever. Taking us through there 3 levels of contemplation - pausing, pivoting and merging, Richard Rudd invites us to hone the art of contemplation in our everyday lives, to gain insight into any issue or problem, to heal deep-seated trauma and ultimately to find peace and clarity.

Contemplation

Contemplation PDF Author: David Allen, M.D.
Publisher: Curtain Call Productions, LLC
ISBN: 9780975330609
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 216

Get Book

Book Description
"Body, mind, spirit family and relationships medical psychology religion self-help."

Contemplation

Contemplation PDF Author: Willigis Jäger
Publisher: Liguori Publications
ISBN: 9780892436903
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 132

Get Book

Book Description
A provocative new study of the Christian contemplative tradition and its relevance to contemporary daily life in a cogent synthesis of scholarship and creative analysis. Willigis Jager is a Benedictine monk and author of three previous books--the most recent being The Way to Contemplation: Encountering God Today.

Fountain of Wisdom

Fountain of Wisdom PDF Author: David Chaim Smith
Publisher: Lightning Flash of Alef
ISBN: 9780692126721
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 212

Get Book

Book Description
The 13th century text, "The Fountain of Wisdom," is one of the most challenging works of the Kabbalistic tradition. Alongside this important text is a passage-by-passage commentary by David Chaim Smith, designed to address the working issues of the spiritual practitioner. "The Fountain of Wisdom" presents a labyrinth of psycho-aetheric symbols that map out the subtle atmospheres, textures, and resonances discovered through radical contemplative mysticism. The strange and beautiful imagery functions as a set of doorways through which the mind passes, allowing for discoveries that no other Kabbalistic text comes close to offering. The original 13th century text is included here in its entirety in a new English translation by Dr. Mark Verman, one of the pre-eminent scholar-translators of this generation.