Though the fourteenth century author of the cloud of unknowing and the book of privy counseling remains unknown, one can be certain of a few things about him based on his writings and translations. Somerset maugham referenced the cloud of unknowing in the razors edge. The cloud of unknowing is therefore a book of strong and earnest. This is evelyn underhills translation of the medieval spiritual guidebook called the cloud of unknowing, written by an anonymous english monk. Talks on the cloud of unknowing by wccm wccm wccm free. I have in mind a person who, over and above the good works of the active life, has resolved to follow christ as far as humanly. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search.
Todd rundgren refers to the cloud of unknowing in the 1989 song the waiting game from nearly human. The cloud of unknowing and the book of privy counseling by. The cloud of unknowing by progoff, ira and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A book of contemplation regardless of their gender, intellectual ability, education, race, nationjohn main described the cloud of unknowing as the most succinct, practical and balanced guide to meditation in the english mystical tradition. Over the years, from time to time, i dipped into it but had never read it carefully, contemplatively. Im glad that unlike other books out there, it included the book of privy counseling, which i found to be a concise summary of much of the material in the cloud of unknowing pared down and to the point.
Different versions of the cloud of unknowing voice in the wilderness. Ira progoff 19211998 worked toward a dynamic humanistic psychology as a private therapist. The cloud puts forth a method of contemplation that stresses the impotence of the understanding to break through the cloud of unknowing that separates god and humanity. That is, a 1996 book by him with the title you gave is online. Written in middle english by an unknown fourteenthcentury mystic, the cloud of unknowing expresses with beauty a message that has inspired such great religious thinkers as st. Aug 30, 2001 buy the cloud of unknowing and other works penguin classics new ed by spearing, a.
The cloud of unknowing and other works by anonymous. In my latest book, the heart of centering prayer, i explore this text. The cloud of unknowing and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The cloud of unknowing quotes goodreads share book. On the cloud of unknowing my world seems open every satellite up here is watching but i was here from the very start trying to find a way to your heart all the. The cloud of unknowing draws on the mystical tradition of pseudodionysius the areopagite and christian neoplatonism, which focuses on the via negativa road to discovering god as a pure entity, beyond any capacity of mental conception and so without any definitive image or form. And i think it is good to be familiar with the christian classics. The mystical theology of saint denis, the book of privy counselling, and an epistle on prayer, which, together with the cloud of unknowing, are the four texts at the core of medieval mystical theology. Though originally intended for a select audience, the works simple, engaging style has won it widespread popularity since it rediscovery more than century ago. 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. Ira progoff, a student of jungs, brings his incisive knowledge and his gentle spirit to his version of this medieval text.
Cynthia bourgeaults new book, the heart of centering prayer, offers a. A book of contemplation john main described the cloud of unknowing as the most succinct, practical and balanced guide to meditation in. The cloud of unknowing and the book of privy counseling. A new translation of the classic 14thcentury guide to the spiritual experience by ira progoff 1989, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. All considered, however, id highly recommend this book as there are many insights likely to help readers today. Knowing from the whole center for action and contemplation. A new translation of the classic 14thcentury guide to the spiritual experience. It is an amazingly written story that, though i could predict the ending, had a few really good red herrings thrown in just to cast the shadow of doubt on my own sleuthing abilities. Salingers novel franny and zooey refers to the cloud of unknowing in a passage where the characters are discussing contemplative prayer. This translation by william johnston contains not one, but two of the great books in the literature of contemplation, the wellknown classic the cloud of unknowing, and its lesserknown sequel, the book of privy counseling. The cloud of unknowing by progoff, ira used books and. This is brought about by putting all thoughts and desires under a cloud of forgetting, and thereby piercing gods cloud of unknowing with a dart.
Precariously heretical in its day, it became a classic of christian mystical thought. Between you and god, there is a cloud of unknowing. It has been described as christianity with a zen outlook. Cook has been my favorite author for a couple years now, and this book is one of the reasons why. A new translation, by the middle english scholar carmen acevedo butcher. When this prerequisite is met, a book like this can help prayer to go beyond creatures to the. Oracle cloud oracle database cloud cookbook with oracle enterprise manager c cloud control adobe dreamweaver creative cloud revealed stay current with adobe creative cloud adobe. He writes particularly for an unidentified younger monk who is considering the call to a contemplative life. It concerns the states of consciousness of those desiring godenlightenment which take one to the mindfulnessmindlessness described as the goal in many. They are, first, the cloud of unknowing the longest and most complete exposition of its authors peculiar doctrineand, depending from it, four short tracts or letters. Feb 12, 2015 cloud of unknowing taken from the 2010 album plastic beach including the singles rhinestone eyes, stylo, superfast jellyfish and on melancholy hill. The text is a spiritual guide on contemplative prayer in the late middle ages.
The cloud of unknowing is a 14 th century spiritual classic written by an anonymous english monk. The cloud of unknowing, free pdf, ebook, epub global grey. Progoffs introduction is a valuable addition to the cloud of unknowing a gentle book that is still very relative to contemporary life, despite its age. The cloud of unknowing 1973 by progoff ira 0440557x for. The title of this book is the cloud of unknowing and it was written by ira progoff. The unknown author, thought to be a priest and carthusian monk, is also believed to have written the other three works in this volume. Nobody knows who wrote the book, or exactly where he lived, or whether he was a member of a religious order, or even, really, whether he was part of any church at all. The cloud of unknowing catholic spiritual direction. Cynthia recommends carmen s for its spark and readability. The cloud of unknowing, inspired the title for the movie of the same name by richard sylvarnes. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The cloud of unknowing, part i center for action and.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. This is the directive, written by an anonymous author and printed immediately inside the front cover of the cloud of unknowing. 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. In this excerpt, the author of the cloud of unknowing instructs the practitioner that he must put a cloud of forgetting between himself and all created things. At the core is a mystical approach to christian prayer, in which god is found not through rote knowledge, but through blind love. The cloud of unknowing by anonymous free at loyal books. 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. The edition of the cloud which benson is quoting is ira progoff. I feel as though this book has restored some part of my sanity. This is william johnstons summary of the message of the cloud of unknowing.
It makes a realistic appraisal of the problems and weaknesses of individual human beings, for it regards mans imperfections as the raw material to be worked with in carrying out the discipline of spiritual development. Pearls of wisdom from the cloud of unknowing christian. Salingers novel franny and zooey 1961 refers to the cloud of unknowing in a passage where the characters are discussing contemplative prayer. Cloud unknowing book privy abebooks passion for books. Publication date 1983 topics mysticism publisher new york.
In addition to the cloud of unknowing and the book of privy counseling, the cloud author is. The ultimate goal of the work of the cloud of unknowing is union with god, not as god is. The cloud of unknowing is an anonymous work of christian mysticism written in middle. Book overview widely considered a hallmark of western literature and spirituality, the cloud of unknowing is an anonymous english monks sublime expression of. The father tells us for whom he has written the cloud of unknowing. Ira progoff the cloud of unknowing was written by someone who was. Fabrication, falsification, and the cloud of unknowing published on 01 jan 2010 by brill. Cloud of unknowing documents techniques used by the medieval monastic community to build and maintain that contemplative knowledge of god.
As i am in the third group, these words were a scalpel painfully cutting into my soul to return my life to god s original purpose. About the cloud of unknowing in fourteenthcentury england an anonymous monk wrote an extraordinary text illuminating the life of contemplative devotion and the drama of the souls union with god. The cloud of unknowing and other works penguin classics. The book often claimed as a precedent for centering prayer is the cloud of unknowing, by an unknown fourteenthcentury english. In the cloud of unknowing, i think i won, or at least tied. The work is about contemplative prayer and the mystical union with god through the path of via negativa, or letting go of all concepts, images and ideas of god and creatures and approaching gods bare essence or being which is veiled in mysterious darkness. The cloud of unknowing and the book of privy counselling early english text society original series. The cloud of unknowing and the book of p by ira progoff. The cloud of unknowing is therefore a book of strong and earnest thinking. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study.
The cloud of unknowing is a mystical tract from 14th century england, probably written by a carthusian monk for a young novice. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. On closer inspection, the author of the book is actually john kirvan. Little is known about the author of the cloud of unknowing except that he was an english priest, most likely raised in the east midlands, who wrote in the second half of the fourteenth century. While we do not know his name, he is known to be a fourteenth century mystic, theologian and spiritual friend.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Talks on the cloud of unknowing by wccm published on 20160929t07. Ira progoffs brilliant new translation and commentary illustrate the cloud of. The cloud of unknowing, part i thursday, july 23, 2015. I actually like it better than the more famous cloud of unknowing. The cloud of unknowing project gutenberg selfpublishing. A book of contemplation the which is called the cloud of unknowing, in the which a soul is oned with god edited from the british museum ms. For comparison, here are a few sentences by franklin merrellwolff from pathways through to space. Biblio is a marketplace for book collectors comprised of thousands of independent, professional booksellers, located all over the world, who list their books for. Ira progoff 1921 1998 worked toward a dynamic humanistic psychology as a private therapist. Meister eckhart had just been silenced by continue reading the cloud of unknowing, part i.
But the writer was also anonymous for practical reasons. In the course of seventyfive chapters, the book describes in a detailed and. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Jan 10, 2011 i finally got around to reading the spiritual classic, the cloud of unknowing. This document has been generated from xsl extensible stylesheet langua ge source with renderx xep formatter, version 3. The author explains how all thoughts and concepts must be buried originally written in middle english by an unknown mystic of the fourteenth century, the cloud of unknowing represents the first expression in our own tongue of the souls quest for god. The cloude of unknowyng is an anonymous work of christian mysticism written in middle english in the latter half of the 14th century. The cloud of unknowing is an english book of christian mysticism dating from the second half of the fourteenth century. The epistle of prayer, the epistle of discretion in the stirrings of the soul, the epistle of privy counsel, and the treatise of discerning of spirits. The cloud of unknowing, part ii center for action and contemplation. The book counsels a young student to seek god, not through knowledge and intellection faculty of the human mind, but through intense contemplation, motivated by love, and stripped of all thought.
The little book about 100 pages is the first such work in the english language. Talks on the cloud of unknowing by meditatio issuu. Apr 14, 2009 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. My edition is the cloud of unknowing and other works. In the cloud of unknowing, an anonymous 14thcentury monk, a master of the practice of christian contemplation, explores both the philosophytheology behind the practice and the method of practice itself. Of his writings, the cloud of unknowing and the book of privy counseling are the best known. Its theology is presented in a way that is remarkably easy to understand, as well as practical, providing advice on. The cloud of unknowing is a 14thcentury spiritual classic written by an. In his introduction to his translation, ira progoff writes. Written as a primer for the young monastic, the work is instructional, but does not have an. Export to refworks export to endnote reference manager export to easybib export to endnote reference manager nonlatin cancel. Pearls of wisdom from the cloud of unknowing christian contemplative prayermeditation posted in matters of faith, spirituality, uncategorized by freelanceheather ive just finished reading the medieval christian book the cloud of unknowing, which is a classic of christian mysticism. Im far enough along in my work on the cloud of unknowing to respond. That is to say, during this type of prayer, no thought is welcomed or indulged.