000			01313nam a2200217Ia 4500
999			_c218247 _d218247
005			20211210163847.0
008			200208s9999 xx 000 0 und d
020			_a9780195300390
082			_a204.22 HAR
100			_a"Harmless, William"
245		0	_aMystics
260			_aOxford
260			_bOxford University Press
260			_c2008
300			_a350p.
365			_b395
365			_dRS
520			_aWhat is mysticism? The question continues to be the subject of fierce debate. Some argue that all mystical experience is the same - it is an innate human ability - while others insist that the nature of mystical experience is highly conditioned by the cultural and religious background of the mystic. There is, however, no disagreement about the identity of the mystics themselves. In this book, William Harmless offers a highly readable introduction to the mystics and their message. Their message, he says, centers on three topics: who God is, how we meet God in prayer; and why the human heart is at once so deep, so beautiful, so selfish, and so hard to fathom. By introducing students and general reders to these figures, he hopes to stimulate reflection on these great questions, and deeper exploration of the world's mystical traditions.
650			_aMysticism
942			_cB _2ddc