The Secret Within: Hermits, Recluses, and Spiritual Outsiders in Medieval England - Hardcover

"It is in the large number of texts analysed that readers can really appreciate the depth and breadth of Riehle's achievement here. Riehle aims to 'consider the texts as works of literary and theological significance' (p. xv), and the book certainly succeeds in these twin aims, at times arguing that the theological sophistication of certain texts has been under-appreciated in previous scholarship (e.g. in relation to Julian of Norwich), and in the process providing the reader with a thorough reminder of the long and varied textual tradition (e.g. the Psalms, Pauline writings, Origen) from which medieval mystical writers could gain both certainty and confusion in theological matters." * parergon * "A completely fresh look at the question of solitude and its relationship to the production of theological texts.... A sensitive and subtle book.... Although The Secret Within is centered on familiar writers and works, Riehle's approach to them gives them new freshness.... His detailed, subtle, and dense readings serve to remind us how rich these texts are and how fully they repay constant study." * Speculum * "It is one of many achievements of Riehle's book to bring to the fore the 'vivid exchange of ideas' between the medieval English mystics and their continental counterparts.... It has been a great pleasure to read this book. The translation is graceful, and the physical, editorial, and typographical makeup of the book reflects the high standards of the press. Considering the ever-decreasing attention non-English publications receive in Anglo-American scholarship, the translation of Riehle's important book into English will ensure that it gets the recognition it deserves." * Anglistik *

Spiritual seekers throughout history have sought illumination through solitary contemplation. In the Christian tradition, medieval England stands out for its remarkable array of hermits, recluses, and spiritual outsiders-from Cuthbert, Godric of Fichale, and Christina of Markyate to Richard Rolle, Julian of Norwich, and Margery Kempe. In The Secret Within, Wolfgang Riehle offers the first comprehensive history of English medieval mysticism in decades-one that will appeal to anyone fascinated by mysticism as a phenomenon of religious life. In considering the origins and evolution of the English mystical tradition, Riehle begins in the twelfth century with the revival of eremitical mysticism and the early growth of the Cistercian Order in the British Isles. He then focuses in depth on the great mystics of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries-Richard Rolle (the first great English mystic), the author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Walter Hilton, Margery Kempe, and Julian of Norwich. Riehle carefully grounds his narrative in the broader spiritual landscape of the Middle Ages, pointing out both prior influences dating back to Late Antiquity and corresponding developments in mysticism and theology on the Continent. He discusses the problem of possible differences between male and female spirituality and the movement of popularizing mysticism in the late Middle Ages. Filled with fresh insights, The Secret Within will be welcomed especially by teachers and students of medieval literature as well as by those engaged in historical, theological, philosophical, cultural, even anthropological and comparative studies of mysticism.