From Library Journal
With these two titles, Paraclete begins a highly praiseworthy series of spiritual classics, one each by a female and male mystic of the Middle Ages. Editor Carrigan's commendable "mild modernizations" slightly alter the syntactic difficulties and archaisms of the originals while allowing them to retain both their otherness and their rhetorical power. Ardent spiritual seekers, especially Christians, can scarcely do without Mechthild and Lull, and for any library lacking the "Classics of Western Spirituality" versions of these authors, these convenient paperbacks should be an essential purchase. [Carrigan is an LJ reviewer and former Spiritual Reading columnist.AEd.]
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
In the passionate poetry of a bride to her bridegroom, thirteenth-century German mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg recorded thirty years of her most intimate conversations with God. The selections in this edition offer a glimpse into Mechthild's vision of God and her constant longing to be in his heart. Through Mechthild's rich imagery, the reader finds an exposed soul consumed by the perfect love of God. Her spiritual passion penetrates both her divine ecstasies and the trials of her temporal life.
An exceptional writer, Mechthild recounts her mystical union with God in an unusual combination of literary genres ranging from a rich, allegorical style to poetic verse incorporating the luminous imagery of the Song of Songs.
