Publication
Imprint: New York, N.Y. : Image Books, [1996]. Context: Originally written in Middle English by an unknown mystic of the 14th century, first Image edition, 1973. Edition: Text based on the 1944 edition., edited by P. Hodgson. . Responsibility: Newly edited, with an introduction by William Johnston; foreword by Huston Smith. OCLC Number: 746122. Physical: Text : 1 volume : 195 pages ; 18 cm. Features: Includes notes.
Call number
Meditation / Anony
ISBN
0385030975 / 9780385030977
Collections
CSS Library Notes
Description: Originally written in Middle English by an unknown mystic of the 14th century, this book represents the first expression in our own tongue of the soul's quest for God. A literary work of great beauty in both its style and its message, it offers a practical guide in the path of contemplation. The author explains how all thoughts and concepts must be buried beneath a "cloud of forgetting", while our love must rise toward God hidden in the "cloud of unknowing" -- back cover
Table of Contents: Cloud of unknowing.
Book of privy counseling.
Location: COLLECTION: Teachings & Practices -- AREA: Great Traditions -- SECTION: Christianity - Roman Catholic / Filing name: Anonymous
Topics: In TinyCat -- See "Tags" above for our libraries topic areas. See "Subjects" below for LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings) (note you can tour our library via Tags or LCSH, but LCHS are not available for all items in our holdings).
FY2007 /
Table of Contents: Cloud of unknowing.
Book of privy counseling.
Location: COLLECTION: Teachings & Practices -- AREA: Great Traditions -- SECTION: Christianity - Roman Catholic / Filing name: Anonymous
Topics: In TinyCat -- See "Tags" above for our libraries topic areas. See "Subjects" below for LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings) (note you can tour our library via Tags or LCSH, but LCHS are not available for all items in our holdings).
FY2007 /
Other editions
Physical description
195 p.; 21 cm
Awards
Georgia Author of the Year Award (Winner — Inspirational — 2010)
Description
This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism, and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. Carmen Acevedo Butcher's new translation is the first to bring the text into a modern English idiom--while remaining strictly faithful to the meaning of the original Middle English. The Cloud of Unknowing consists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union. Its theology is presented in a way that is remarkably easy to understand, as well as practical, providing advice on prayer and contemplation that anyone can use. Previous translations of the Cloud have tended to veil its intimate, even friendly tone under medieval-sounding language. Carmen Butcher has boldly brought the text into language as appealing to modern ears as it was to its original readers more than five hundred years ago. Also included in the volume is the companion work attributed to the same anonymous author, The Book of Privy Counsel, which contains further advice for approaching God in a way that emphasizes real experience rather than human knowledge.… (more)
Language
Original language
English (Middle)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
The Cloud of Unknowing is a classic of English mystical literature from the 14th century, composed in the apophatic tradition. In his introduction, the editor William Johnston goes on at some length about the suitability of the advice from the anonymous Cloud author for modern would-be mystics with
Chapters 34 & 35 were the high-point of the Cloud for me. The first emphasizes that love under will is the disposition of the accomplished mystic on this path. The second helpfully discusses the need for reading, thinking, and praying, to train the contemplative. In Chapters 37-39, the Cloud is concerned with a particular method of "short" prayer. Johnston's introduction makes it sound as if this method might be something like mantrayoga, but in fact it turns out to have more in common with the ceremonial magic technique of "vibrating god-names," and the Cloud actually recommends a prayer consisting of the single word "God" without repetition. Chapter 55 has some curious demonological remarks. The psychological model of the Cloud is set forth in Chapters 62-66, and it is interesting to note that it begins with the Augustinian trinity of memory, reason, and will, except that in the Cloud memory has become "mind."
Two biblical tropes in the Cloud deserve special mention. The first is the perennial Mary & Martha characterization of the contemplative life and active life respectively. This rhetorical figure was so common among the medieval religious that the Cloud author takes its significance for granted, and uses it in ways that might at first confuse a naive reader. The other noteworthy trope is the Ark of the Covenant as a figure of contemplation, which leads to a discussion of the roles represented by Moses, Bezaleel, and Aaron. This analogy is carefully explained, and struck me as quite evocative.
This edition of the Cloud includes another text by the same author: The Book of Privy Counseling. Its title alludes to the fact that the addressee of the book is evidently a religious subordinate of the writer. Unlike the Cloud, in which the opening and closing passages clearly anticipate a wider audience for the writing, Privy Counseling, while allowing for that possibility, insists that its purpose is to inform one reader who considers the author his "spiritual father."
There is not much content of Privy Counseling that contradicts or surpasses the Cloud. A good deal of the text consists of an unusual exegesis of the third chapter of the biblical Proverbs. In this particular, the author's thesis hinges on an unusual "spiritual" reading of Proverbs 3:9, where the "substance" is glossed as "your very self in simple wholeness," and "first fruits" as "your existence." This creative exegesis does a certain amount of violence to the evident intentions of the original text. Instruction to the reader to use material resources wisely and piously becomes exhortation to non-material contemplation. And then (in verses 14 & 15) the value placed upon sound judgment becomes a prioritization of the apophatic way beyond reason and imagination. Johnston anticipates that learned modern readers may be "perturbed" by this "contemplative approach to Scripture," but justifies it with a remark that they reflected "a growth in the understanding" between the writer and the reader, both informed by the same spirit. I think the Cloud author himself knew better, when writing in Privy Counsel that "the light of Scripture, reliable counsel, and the dictates of common sense" should be used to evaluate ideas and courses of action.
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interests in Zen and other contemplative paths, and Johnston tries to water down and modernize the Christology of the Cloud by characterizing it as a "cosmic Christ" per Teilhard de Chardin. But that reading seems foreign to the text as I grasp it. The Cloud is plainly and professedly in the Christian tradition of pseudo-Dionysius, asserting the excellence of a contemplation that surpasses the distinctions of reason and imagination, yet firmly anchored in the presuppositions of conventional Christian theology. Chapters 34 & 35 were the high-point of the Cloud for me. The first emphasizes that love under will is the disposition of the accomplished mystic on this path. The second helpfully discusses the need for reading, thinking, and praying, to train the contemplative. In Chapters 37-39, the Cloud is concerned with a particular method of "short" prayer. Johnston's introduction makes it sound as if this method might be something like mantrayoga, but in fact it turns out to have more in common with the ceremonial magic technique of "vibrating god-names," and the Cloud actually recommends a prayer consisting of the single word "God" without repetition. Chapter 55 has some curious demonological remarks. The psychological model of the Cloud is set forth in Chapters 62-66, and it is interesting to note that it begins with the Augustinian trinity of memory, reason, and will, except that in the Cloud memory has become "mind."
Two biblical tropes in the Cloud deserve special mention. The first is the perennial Mary & Martha characterization of the contemplative life and active life respectively. This rhetorical figure was so common among the medieval religious that the Cloud author takes its significance for granted, and uses it in ways that might at first confuse a naive reader. The other noteworthy trope is the Ark of the Covenant as a figure of contemplation, which leads to a discussion of the roles represented by Moses, Bezaleel, and Aaron. This analogy is carefully explained, and struck me as quite evocative.
This edition of the Cloud includes another text by the same author: The Book of Privy Counseling. Its title alludes to the fact that the addressee of the book is evidently a religious subordinate of the writer. Unlike the Cloud, in which the opening and closing passages clearly anticipate a wider audience for the writing, Privy Counseling, while allowing for that possibility, insists that its purpose is to inform one reader who considers the author his "spiritual father."
There is not much content of Privy Counseling that contradicts or surpasses the Cloud. A good deal of the text consists of an unusual exegesis of the third chapter of the biblical Proverbs. In this particular, the author's thesis hinges on an unusual "spiritual" reading of Proverbs 3:9, where the "substance" is glossed as "your very self in simple wholeness," and "first fruits" as "your existence." This creative exegesis does a certain amount of violence to the evident intentions of the original text. Instruction to the reader to use material resources wisely and piously becomes exhortation to non-material contemplation. And then (in verses 14 & 15) the value placed upon sound judgment becomes a prioritization of the apophatic way beyond reason and imagination. Johnston anticipates that learned modern readers may be "perturbed" by this "contemplative approach to Scripture," but justifies it with a remark that they reflected "a growth in the understanding" between the writer and the reader, both informed by the same spirit. I think the Cloud author himself knew better, when writing in Privy Counsel that "the light of Scripture, reliable counsel, and the dictates of common sense" should be used to evaluate ideas and courses of action.
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LibraryThing member k6gst
Written in Middle English, probably by a Carthusian priest, The Cloude of Unknowyng is regarded as a foundational work of Christian mysticism. The Book of Privy Counseling is its short sequel.
Fairly esoteric stuff, and much of it I didn’t get. Towards the end there was a warning about the kind of
Fairly esoteric stuff, and much of it I didn’t get. Towards the end there was a warning about the kind of
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person that won’t profit from and shouldn’t be encouraged to read the book, and it described me with painful accuracy. Free tip for anonymous Middle English Carthusian mystic authors: Put your warnings in the front of the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member disneypope
Rare work from a western understanding of Christian Mysticism.
LibraryThing member mysterytramp
I have never made it all the way through this book. I find the "Book of Privy Counseling" a little easier to read (in the beginning at least)& more resonant for me personally.
LibraryThing member TrinityRedlands
Houston Smith points out in his foreward that we are emerging from a sort of mental cage framed by scientific constructs that constrain our thinking. This book is for the one seeking to go beyond the last three centuries of materialism, ready to explore the realms of the spirit. Written in the 14th
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century, the book is one of the classics of Western mysticism. It is a guide to the path of contemplation; i.e., meditation that goes beyond thought. Also in this book is "The Book of Privy Counseling" which stands on its own as a guide to contemplation. RMB, CSBS Show Less
LibraryThing member ElTomaso
A great book on mystical prayer.
LibraryThing member RosidivitoM
Written by an unknown Author, it involves an intimate experience within with the higher power. The mystical experience of knowing the presence within, although it might at first appear to be a void of the unknown, is mentioned. We are encouraged to engage with this inner relationship. I bought the
[Read in 2005]
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copy at a Catholic bookstore in Charleston, SC. Nuns were responsible for running the shop, and they also helped me choose a Missal.[Read in 2005]
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LibraryThing member booksontrial
It is written in the Talmud, "Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." Concerning the spirit, the only life that a person has the power to destroy or save is his own, then and only then
One of the basic doctrines of the Cloud, which is reminiscent of Plotinus, is that thinking or knowing is not a necessary attribute of being, but something inferior and extraneous to being. God cannot be thought or known, but He can be loved, as He is in Himself.
In an apparent attempt to reconcile Christianity and Buddhism, William Johnston writes of the "Cosmic Christ" in the introduction to his translation of the book. He seems to downplay, if not deny, the Personhood of Christ, which does not reflect either the intent or the stated belief of the author, IMO. Evelyn Underhill shows more self-restraint in her introduction to an untranslated edition, and does not intrude her personal beliefs on the readers.
According to the author, the subject of mystical union can only be understood by those who have attained it. Needless to say, I have not, and therefore am not qualified to judge, but then again, few have. So in that regard, my point of view is as valid as any.
From a Christian perspective, it is possible for man to have true knowledge of God, for He reveals Himself to man, His divine attribute and wondrous works, but human knowledge is imperfect and transitory, whereas Love is perfect and eternal. For God is Love. As St. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 13, Love never fails, but knowledge will vanish away. "For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away."
To put it in a simple analogy, the Cloud of Unknowing is a love story between a soul and her God. When He seems to be away from the soul, she can do no better than to meditate on His attributes and works, and cherish the memories and knowledge of the Beloved. But, when He comes to dwell in her, the soul no longer turns to memories or images, but turns all her being to the Beloved in Person.
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is an entire world destroyed or saved in him and through him. IF, and it is a big IF, this is true, the contemplative life, as described by this anonymous author, would be the one simple and logical way to live. "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life". One of the basic doctrines of the Cloud, which is reminiscent of Plotinus, is that thinking or knowing is not a necessary attribute of being, but something inferior and extraneous to being. God cannot be thought or known, but He can be loved, as He is in Himself.
In an apparent attempt to reconcile Christianity and Buddhism, William Johnston writes of the "Cosmic Christ" in the introduction to his translation of the book. He seems to downplay, if not deny, the Personhood of Christ, which does not reflect either the intent or the stated belief of the author, IMO. Evelyn Underhill shows more self-restraint in her introduction to an untranslated edition, and does not intrude her personal beliefs on the readers.
According to the author, the subject of mystical union can only be understood by those who have attained it. Needless to say, I have not, and therefore am not qualified to judge, but then again, few have. So in that regard, my point of view is as valid as any.
From a Christian perspective, it is possible for man to have true knowledge of God, for He reveals Himself to man, His divine attribute and wondrous works, but human knowledge is imperfect and transitory, whereas Love is perfect and eternal. For God is Love. As St. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 13, Love never fails, but knowledge will vanish away. "For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away."
To put it in a simple analogy, the Cloud of Unknowing is a love story between a soul and her God. When He seems to be away from the soul, she can do no better than to meditate on His attributes and works, and cherish the memories and knowledge of the Beloved. But, when He comes to dwell in her, the soul no longer turns to memories or images, but turns all her being to the Beloved in Person.
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LibraryThing member bness2
A nicely fresh translation from two Middle English Anonymous Catholic mystic books, that listed in the title and "The Book of Privy Counsel." The author of these two books is very down to earth in his way of describing the methods for what he calls "contemplation." As many have noted elsewhere, the
The "cloud of unknowing" of the title is very much like the meditation state practiced in Buddhist insight meditation. The believer is to draw all attention away from himself and his rational thought processes and simply focus all on a longing for union with God. Knowing God perfectly is impossible, and the rational mind is especially ill equipped to do so, but through God's grace and contemplative prayer the Christian can experience God and union with him that becomes a knowing beyond knowing.
I find it amazing that two such different spiritual communities would stumble upon such similar approaches, and now that modern science has shown the mental and physical benefits of meditation, it deserves to play a greater part in modern Christian practice.
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Medieval Christian mystics often describe meditation practices that resemble Buddhist practice, in spite of never apparently ever having contact with one another. The author of these works is no exception.The "cloud of unknowing" of the title is very much like the meditation state practiced in Buddhist insight meditation. The believer is to draw all attention away from himself and his rational thought processes and simply focus all on a longing for union with God. Knowing God perfectly is impossible, and the rational mind is especially ill equipped to do so, but through God's grace and contemplative prayer the Christian can experience God and union with him that becomes a knowing beyond knowing.
I find it amazing that two such different spiritual communities would stumble upon such similar approaches, and now that modern science has shown the mental and physical benefits of meditation, it deserves to play a greater part in modern Christian practice.
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LibraryThing member deusvitae
Two works on contemplative prayer from an anonymous Christian of the 14th century.
This volume includes both The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counsel, the former far more famous than the latter.
Both are written as invitations to explore contemplative prayer, the process by which one
The introduction by the translator is extremely helpful as an aid to understanding, as are the notes which tend to highlight the nuances of the author's Middle English which may get lost in translation. An excellent edition of a spiritual classic.
This volume includes both The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counsel, the former far more famous than the latter.
Both are written as invitations to explore contemplative prayer, the process by which one
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might develop in contemplative prayer, some of the pitfalls that come from the endeavor and what others may think of the contemplatives, and its value. "The Cloud of Unknowing" is introduced early in the volume as that "place" one enters when one pursues God who is ultimately unknowable, and one proceeds to perceive one's delusions about oneself and how to nevertheless continue to seek after God in contemplation. "The Book of Privy Counsel" seems to become a bit more "practical" about the whole matter.The introduction by the translator is extremely helpful as an aid to understanding, as are the notes which tend to highlight the nuances of the author's Middle English which may get lost in translation. An excellent edition of a spiritual classic.
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LibraryThing member jveezer
I read this book after running across references to it in two books, “Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse” by Louise Erdrich and “Yoga and the Quest for the True Self” by Stephen Cope. I figured if I ran across the reference twice in such disparate places, I should check it out.
There were definitely some parallels with yogic meditation, which was the main thing I was curious about. In yoga as I practice it, Isvara is the “divine ideal of pure awareness”, and Pranidhanat is “devotion or devotion”. So in this book that ideal of Isvara would be Jesus Christ, of course. It was nice to read about the contemplative side of Christianity and to see it placed on an equal footing to the active side of Christian faith. This might be the first book where I have seen that happen. As such, it was definitely worth the read for me.
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There were definitely some parallels with yogic meditation, which was the main thing I was curious about. In yoga as I practice it, Isvara is the “divine ideal of pure awareness”, and Pranidhanat is “devotion or devotion”. So in this book that ideal of Isvara would be Jesus Christ, of course. It was nice to read about the contemplative side of Christianity and to see it placed on an equal footing to the active side of Christian faith. This might be the first book where I have seen that happen. As such, it was definitely worth the read for me.
Show Less