Justin McCann (1882–1959)

The Cloud of Unknowing is for three types of people: those whose prayer life is lacking, those whose humility is lacking, and those who need both. 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. Surprisingly accessible, this book can be not only recommended to Christian laity, a non-Christian who wants to explore traditional spirituality would find this a welcome manual as the monk’s tone and vocabulary show more are plain—exactly what one would expect from a soul dedicated to finding God’s love through humbling himself. The sovereignty and love of God are front and center, betraying the Protestant view that pre-Reformation Christianity was focused on meaningless rituals and lost a focus on God’s love—love is front and center here. To the reformers’ point, however, priesthood of all believers is not on the radar as Christians are sharply divided into active and contemplative vocations, one clearly seen as superior to the other.
(Note: I read Bernard Bangley's 2006 modernization) show less

It feels like cheating reading this book in contemporary English when it is not a work in translation. But the older edition was opaque to me and this was easier to rap my head around. This is a simple and influential description of mysticism from thirteenth Century England. It is anonymous. The author is orthodox but his Bible reading is a little shoddy in places. His understanding of mysticism and contemplation is more significant (he was likely a monk).

I liked the humble and practical show more tone of this book. Some helpful stuff on managing distractions in prayer. I also found a more positive place for scripture and Jesus than I thought it would have before reading it. Of course there is a cloud of unknowing, and a neo-platonic cloud of forgetfulness which necessitates our pressing past the world of sense to a pristine encounter with the God that is beyond description, but the author also commends dwelling on the words and life of Jesus and the Bible's description of God as love. That being said, this is not my favorite treatment of mysticism. show less

For a mystical book written in 14th century England, it was surprisingly modern in outlook. And despite being written by a Catholic monk, it was surprisingly non-denominational and inter-faith.

This book holds an important place in the history of both Western literature and spirituality, breaking through the cloud of unknowing that separates God and humanity. "It is love alone that can reach God in this life."