The Pursuit of Wisdom

This volume contains six works written by the great fourteenthcentury mystic, the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing. Presented here are: "The Pursuit of Wisdom" (the author's translation of Richard of St. Victor's treatise "Benjamin Minor"), his translation of Pseudo-Dionysius' mystical theology entitied "Denis' Hidder: Theology," his free development of St. Bernard's homilies "The Discernment of Spirits," and the treatises "The Assessment of Inward Stirrings," "A Letter on Prayer," and "A Letter of Private Direction" often entitled The Book of Privy Counseling.

In his masterly preface, George A. Maloney states that "... it is in the burning love of the author for Jesus Christ as indwelling and risen that techniques are seen always as subservient to the essential Christian teaching of mystical union with Christ and through him with the Indwelling Trinity. The fruit of such 'darkness' spirituality is seen as an outward movement toward active service on behalf of other human beings to co-create a better world through a loving synergy with the indwelling Trinity."