A year or two ago, a confessor at the end of my confession, recommended that I read the above book. I bought a copy and wondered if this good priest had mistaken me for a deep theological thinker. It is deep stuff indeed written as a prayer manual in the 14th century. Has anyone else read this book and, if so, what do they make of it? The basics of it seem to be that the only thing we can know about God is that he is unknowable but that, equipped with that piece of knowledge, some perhaps only a few, can form a very close connection with Him in deep meditation by stepping into a place of spiritual depth and darkness in which only He and the meditator exist (at least I think that is what it is saying!).
I came across that book forty years ago, and thought maybe this would be one way of working out my salvation. After having a read here and there, I was speaking to our Parish Priest who was a very Holy and Spiritual man, asking him if he thought that would be a good way for me to grow spiritually. He said no, this would not be a good way for you (Julia). He recommended Saint Theresa of Avilla for me. He said she was my sort of saint. He gave me a book about Saint Theresa of Avilla, and I did not get very far into it would you believe. When I came to the chapter that recalled Saint Theresa falling flat on her face in a muddy puddle of water; she let Jesus know in no uncertain terms she was not impressed, and told Him, no wonder You complain about how few people love You , when You treat Your friends like that. That really is the sort of soul Julia is. The Priest was right, God rest his soul. I do love the ordinary everyday way Jesus loves us, and I am totally in Love with My beloved Heavenly Father , Son and Holy Spirit; because they put up with me a very flawed simple soul.
I had this book years and years ago and I think I was too immature spiritually to make use of it. I believe it goes back to medieval times and is a classic on contemplative prayer. I bet Tan books or Sophia press has it.
Available online in various versions. 40 years ago "meddling" with Zen etc it was a link back to my Christian roots.
It is many years since I studied this book. Your PP was a wise man Julia. I think I was led into this book in conjunction with taking classes in contemplation under the guidance of a Carmelite priest. I think I remember the preface to the book warning of its dangers to those who were not ready for its contents. I was not. On a lighter note a friend of mine says that her cloud of unknowing turned out to be her last puff of a cigarette just before she entered the convent as a noviciate.
Here is a little bit about the anonymous authorHis writings, though they touch on many subjects, are chiefly concerned with the art of contemplative prayer; that “blind intent stretching to God” which, if it be wholly set on Him, cannot fail to reach its goal. A peculiar talent for the description and discrimination of spiritual states has enabled him to discern and set before us, with astonishing precision and vividness, not only the strange sensations, the confusion and bewilderment of the beginner in the early stages of contemplation—the struggle with distracting thoughts, the silence, the dark—and the unfortunate state of those theoretical mystics who, “swollen with pride and with curiosity of much clergy and letterly cunning as in clerks,” miss that treasure which is “never got by study but all only by grace”; but also the happiness of those whose “sharp dart of longing love” has not “failed of the prick, the which is God.” these days I stick to my rosary
“The Cloud of Unknowing is written specifically to a student, and the author strongly commands the student in the Prologue, "do not willingly and deliberately read it, copy it, speak of it, or allow it to be read, copied, or spoken of, by anyone or to anyone, except by or to a person who, in your opinion, has undertaken truly and without reservation to be a perfect follower of Christ."[7]” Wiki. Oops I have already failed to do this! But at least my memory is working well.
The Cloud of Unknowing Index The Cloud of Unknowing | Robbins Library Digital Projects A more modern English version The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works - Anonymous - The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works.pdf
I tend to associate it with Fr. William Johnston and that time of exploring Christian and Eastern mysticism. Although Fr. Johnston spent many years in Japan and was well versed in Zen and Buddhism, he was deeply rooted in the Gospel and his Catholic faith. His own slim volume 'Letters to Contemplatives' was a book I often went back to in those years.
Thank you for posting this video Dave. I shared earlier how I had years ago read some of the book about this spirituality, and how my then Parish Priest advised me it was not the path for me. Well I wonder if what this man says at the very end of the video explains a lot to me. You see the aim of this path is to find a face to face encounter with God. And I have shared in the past on the forum that I have encountered Jesus in Person, tangible and visible on more than one occasion. This book must be designed for people of Faith who have not actually encountered God in a visible way and have the pure Grace of Faith longing for that encounter. Jesus Himself said, blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed. May God bless those who seek Him, even though they have not yet seen Him.
Thanks for everyone's input. I would ask the priest who recommended it to me why he did so but he has moved on. Reading it has spurred me to be determined in pushing the mundane out of my mind when praying and to be silent and inwardly quiet sometimes instead of actively praying.
Medieval thought patterns are not easy to get ones head around, at least without a commentary. I would love to have read people like St Bernard of Clairvaux but gave up. This was long before the Renaisance and they thought patterns were so different. They keep using common know analogies and their writing to me seems like an overgrown Garden. My own reading starts about the time of St Teresa of Avila and carries on from there. I have read, 'The Cloud of unknowing', several times but never really over warmed to. I love clarity and simplicity. Even the poetry of St John of the Cross is a struggle. I love the humour and down to Earthiness of st Teresa. So rare. So few Spiritual Writers appear to have been born with a funny bone . So sad.
