The Cloud of Unknowing
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Christian mysticism and contemplative spirituality

The Cloud of Unknowing

Evelyn Underhill1375
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An anonymous masterpiece of 14th-century English Christian mysticism, edited by Evelyn Underhill from the Middle English. The unknown author instructs a young disciple in a form of contemplative prayer in which the intellect is set aside and the soul reaches toward God through pure love, entering the "cloud of unknowing" where conceptual knowledge fails. Drawing on the apophatic tradition of Pseudo-Dionysius, the work argues that God cannot be grasped by thought but only by love. Alongside Meister Eckhart and The Interior Castle, this is one of the supreme documents of the Christian contemplative tradition.

This edition1912
EditionAnonymous Middle English original c. 1375; Evelyn Underhill critical edition 1912
divine love and the BelovedContemplationMystical experiencemeditation and contemplationMysticismmystical theologyspiritual purificationcontemplative practiceMystical philosophyPrayerChristian Mysticismmystical union

Contents214 chapters

  1. 01THE CLOUD
  2. 02OF UNKNOWING
  3. 03INTRODUCTION
  4. 04Here Beginneth the Prayer
  5. 05Here Beginneth the Prologue
  6. 06Here Beginneth a Table of the Chapters
  7. 07THE FIRST CHAPTER
  8. 08THE SECOND CHAPTER
  9. 09THE THIRD CHAPTER
  10. 10THE FOURTH CHAPTER
  11. 11THE FIFTH CHAPTER
  12. 12THE SIXTH CHAPTER
  13. 13THE SEVENTH CHAPTER
  14. 14THE EIGHTH CHAPTER
  15. 15THE NINTH CHAPTER
  16. 16THE TENTH CHAPTER
  17. 17THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER
  18. 18THE TWELFTH CHAPTER
  19. 19THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER
  20. 20THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER
  21. 21THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER
  22. 22THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER
  23. 23THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER
  24. 24THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
  25. 25THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER
  26. 26THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  27. 27THE ONE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  28. 28THE TWO AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  29. 29THE THREE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  30. 30THE FOUR AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  31. 31THE FIVE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  32. 32THE SIX AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  33. 33THE SEVEN AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  34. 34THE EIGHT AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  35. 35THE NINE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  36. 36THE THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  37. 37THE ONE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  38. 38THE TWO AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  39. 39THE THREE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  40. 40THE FOUR AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  41. 41THE FIVE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  42. 42THE SIX AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  43. 43THE SEVEN AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  44. 44THE EIGHT AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  45. 45THE NINE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  46. 46THE FORTIETH CHAPTER
  47. 47THE ONE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  48. 48THE TWO AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  49. 49THE THREE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  50. 50THE FOUR AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  51. 51THE FIVE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  52. 52THE SIX AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  53. 53THE SEVEN AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  54. 54THE EIGHT AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  55. 55THE NINE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  56. 56THE FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  57. 57THE ONE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  58. 58THE TWO AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  59. 59THE THREE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  60. 60THE FOUR AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  61. 61THE FIVE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  62. 62THE SIX AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  63. 63THE SEVEN AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  64. 64THE EIGHT AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  65. 65THE NINE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  66. 66THE SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  67. 67THE ONE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  68. 68THE TWO AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  69. 69THE THREE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  70. 70THE FOUR AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  71. 71THE FIVE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  72. 72THE SIX AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  73. 73THE SEVEN AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  74. 74THE EIGHT AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  75. 75THE NINE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  76. 76THE SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  77. 77THE ONE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  78. 78THE TWO AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  79. 79THE THREE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  80. 80THE FOUR AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  81. 81THE FIVE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  82. 82AND HERE ENDETH THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS
  83. 83HERE BEGINNETH THE FIRST CHAPTER
  84. 84HERE BEGINNETH THE
  85. 85SECOND CHAPTER
  86. 86HERE BEGINNETH THE
  87. 87THIRD CHAPTER
  88. 88HERE BEGINNETH THE FOURTH CHAPTER
  89. 89HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTH CHAPTER
  90. 90HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTH CHAPTER
  91. 91HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTH CHAPTER
  92. 92HERE BEGINNETH THE
  93. 93EIGHTH CHAPTER
  94. 94HERE BEGINNETH THE
  95. 95NINTH CHAPTER
  96. 96HERE BEGINNETH THE TENTH CHAPTER
  97. 97HERE BEGINNETH THE
  98. 98ELEVENTH CHAPTER
  99. 99HERE BEGINNETH THE TWELFTH CHAPTER
  100. 100HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER
  101. 101HERE BEGINNETH THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER
  102. 102HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER
  103. 103HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER
  104. 104HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER
  105. 105HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
  106. 106HERE BEGINNETH THE
  107. 107NINETEENTH CHAPTER
  108. 108HERE BEGINNETH THE
  109. 109TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  110. 110HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE
  111. 111AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  112. 112HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO
  113. 113AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  114. 114HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  115. 115HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  116. 116HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  117. 117HERE BEGINNETH THE
  118. 118SIX AND TWENTIETH
  119. 119CHAPTER
  120. 120HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
  121. 121HERE BEGINNETH THE
  122. 122EIGHT AND TWENTIETH
  123. 123CHAPTER
  124. 124HERE BEGINNETH THE
  125. 125NINE AND TWENTIETH
  126. 126CHAPTER
  127. 127HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  128. 128HERE BEGINNETH THE
  129. 129ONE AND THIRTIETH
  130. 130CHAPTER
  131. 131HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  132. 132HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  133. 133HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  134. 134HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  135. 135HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX
  136. 136AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  137. 137HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  138. 138HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
  139. 139HERE BEGINNETH THE
  140. 140NINE AND THIRTIETH
  141. 141CHAPTER
  142. 142HERE BEGINNETH THE FORTIETH CHAPTER
  143. 143HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE
  144. 144AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  145. 145HERE BEGINNETH THE
  146. 146TWO AND FORTIETH
  147. 147CHAPTER
  148. 148HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  149. 149HERE BEGINNETH THE
  150. 150FOUR AND FORTIETH
  151. 151CHAPTER
  152. 152HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  153. 153HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  154. 154HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  155. 155HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
  156. 156HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  157. 157HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE
  158. 158AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  159. 159HERE BEGINNETH THE
  160. 160TWO AND FIFTIETH
  161. 161CHAPTER
  162. 162HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  163. 163HERE BEGINNETH THE
  164. 164FOUR AND FIFTIETH
  165. 165CHAPTER
  166. 166HERE BEGINNETH THE
  167. 167FIVE AND FIFTIETH
  168. 168CHAPTER
  169. 169HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  170. 170HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
  171. 171HERE BEGINNETH THE
  172. 172EIGHT AND FIFTIETH
  173. 173CHAPTER
  174. 174HERE BEGINNETH THE
  175. 175NINE AND FIFTIETH
  176. 176CHAPTER
  177. 177HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  178. 178HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  179. 179HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  180. 180HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  181. 181HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  182. 182HERE BEGINNETH THE
  183. 183FIVE AND SIXTIETH
  184. 184CHAPTER
  185. 185HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX
  186. 186AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  187. 187HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  188. 188HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  189. 189HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
  190. 190HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  191. 191HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  192. 192HERE BEGINNETH THE
  193. 193ONE AND SEVENTIETH
  194. 194CHAPTER
  195. 195HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  196. 196HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  197. 197HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
  198. 198HERE ENDETH THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING.
  199. 199Flowers of a Mystic Garden
  200. 200The Path of the Eternal Wisdom
  201. 201Early English Instructions and Devotions
  202. 202The Golden Fountain
  203. 203or The Soul’s Love for God
  204. 204The Romance of the Soul
  205. 205The Prodigal Returns
  206. 206The Following of Christ
  207. 207The Ladder of Reality
  208. 208BÖHME REPRINTS
  209. 209THE THREE PRINCIPLES OF THE DIVINE ESSENCE
  210. 210THE FORTY QUESTIONS OF THE SOUL and THE CLAVIS
  211. 211THE AURORA
  212. 212THE WAY TO CHRIST
  213. 213STUDIES IN JACOB BÖHME
  214. 214JOHN M. WATKINS,

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