Dazzling Darkness

Description

For 2,000 years, women and men of the Christian faith have experienced what some mystics call a ‘dazzling darkness’: the spiritual journey to the heart of ultimate reality, or God. These direct communions have ranged from mild illuminations to a union consuming the mystic’s will.

This book traces such spiritual figures’ lives, times and teachings, from early Christendom to modern mystics like Simone Weil and Thomas Merton. It explores how the anchoress Julian of Norwich grew up while the Black Death was devastating Europe; how, when the beguine Marguerite Porete lived, the Church was particularly primed to burn ‘heretics’; and how Pierre Teilhard de Chardin developed his idea of spiritual evolution with Darwin’s theories in the air.

Deeply researched and highly engaging, Dazzling Darkness tells the stories of towering figures like Hildegard of Bingen, Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross, and highlights many lesser-known mystics, including Mary of Egypt, Seraphim of Sarov and Charles de Foucauld, allowing their voices to sing out to future generations.

Reviews

‘A beautifully written, thoroughly engaging and meticulously-researched account of Christian mysticism, which I could not put down. This is a work of great clarity which makes an outstanding and inspiring contribution to our understanding of mysticism’s historical, spiritual, philosophical and creative influence. The book’s contemporary relevance is only too apparent and is captured poignantly by Harpur’s concluding poems, precious and delightful gifts to the reader.’ — Sarah Alyn Stacey, Professor and Head of the Department of French, Trinity College, Dublin; and Director of the Trinity Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies

‘Only a poet of the highest calibre could have written this book. With a lovely easy clarity and meticulous research, Harpur traces changes in ideas and feeling across centuries to frame overwhelming mystical experiences. He illuminates his mystics individually, life by life, then hymns them with his own poetic voice. A beautiful achievement.’ — Penelope Buckley, University of Melbourne

‘Understanding Christian mysticism in its many and various forms is a complex task indeed. James Harpur brings to the assignment the mind of a scholar, the heart of a poet, and a prayerful spirit. This distillation of the history of mysticism will be an invaluable companion for the explorer not only of the mystical but of Christian thought more widely.’ — Christopher Southgate, Professor of Theology and Religion, University of Exeter

‘”How can churches in the West nurture and satisfy this hunger for spirituality?” Harpur asks in this wonderful excursus into the world of Western mysticism. Beautifully written and erudite, the text answers the question by gently leading us into the rich depths of the mystical tradition. A striking aspect is the attention to women—the recovery of this dimension of the tradition is key to Christianity moving forward. This book will at once nurture and inspire a hunger for the spiritual and mystical.’ — Fáinche Ryan, Associate Professor in Systematic Theology, Trinity College Dublin

Author(s)

James Harpur is a poet, author and translator who lives in Ireland. He was the 2023 Writer Fellow at the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing, Trinity College, Dublin. His debut novel, The Pathless Country, won the J G Farrell Award and was shortlisted for the John McGahern Prize. Image © Dino Ignani