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From: daveh@tekcrl.labs.tek.com (David Hatcher)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Interior Castle
Message-ID: <Sep.17.03.43.35.1990.17615@athos.rutgers.edu>
Date: 17 Sep 90 07:43:37 GMT
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In article <Sep.9.00.44.24.1990.9463@athos.rutgers.edu> lsheet@athena.mit.edu writes:
>Following are some more books with topics relating to "the union of love
>with God" :
>
>1.	The Way of Perfection		Teresa of Avila
>2.	Dark Night of the Soul		St. John of the Cross
>3.	The Ascend of Mount Carmel	    "
>4.	The Love of God			St. Bernard
>5.	The Imitation of Christ		Thomas A'Kempis
>6.	The Cloud of Unknowing		   ?
>

  I've read all of these, boy, they sure open ones inner eyes. I'd also
  like to suggest _The Mysticism of the Cloud of Unknowing_ & _The Inner
  Eye of Love_ both of which are by William Johnston. Also, St Teresa of
  Avila's autobiography offers a very good insight into the spiritual
  journey that leads to union with God. Thomas Merton is also another
  person whom has has writen several very good books on the subject. 
  
  In my own mind, I've often wondered if Merton should be considered
  a mystic in his own right. The Trappist Monks call him a prophet.
  They use that term in describing Merton not in the sense that he  
  told the future, but in the sense the he was so opened and turned 
  towards God that what Thomas Merton said was in a direct response to 
  that inner experience of spiritual union with God. This is where I 
  feel that true spiritual wisdom is born.
  
	David Hatcher

	        For the great temptation of theology has always been 
		to divorce itself from mystical experience and to 
	        wander off into irrelevant speculation.

				William Johnston
				_The Inner Eye of Love_