In theological language, their theory of knowledge is that the spirit of man, itself essentially divine, is capable of immediate communion with God, the One Reality. The mystics find the basis of their method not in logic but in life: in the existence of a discoverable “real,” a spark of true being, within the seeking subject, which can, in that ineffable experience which they call the “act of union,” fuse itself with and thus apprehend the reality of the sought Object. Here is a selection from Mysticism, where she is actually describing-from a safe distance-what she herself most needed at the time, a “physical sense of the holy”:

Underhill’s growth into a more incarnational spirituality is evident even in her style of writing. She grew through the guidance of her spiritual director, through the suffering and devastation of World War I, and through visiting the poor and serving as a spiritual director and retreat leader. As Underhill gradually opened to the experiences of life, she was led from a disembodied, intellectual spirituality to an engaged, down-to-earth spirituality.

She became known as the Anglican woman who awakened Protestants to the Catholic mystics. At first she only trusted her intellect and studied holiness methodically and empirically.

Through her study of the mystics and even more through her lived experiences, Underhill emphasized that the mystical state of union with God produces creative action in the world.Īs she puts it, “For contemplation and action are not opposites, but two interdependent forms of a life that is one-a life that rushes out to a passionate communion with the true and beautiful, only that it may draw from this direct experience of Reality a new intensity wherewith to handle the world of things and remake it, or at least some little bit of it, ‘nearer to the heart’s desire.’” The mystic’s heart beats in union with God’s heart, so “the heart’s desire” is God’s desire.Įvelyn Underhill held the tension between intellect and intimacy in her longing to be holy. Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) was a prolific British writer who is best known for her book Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Man’s Spiritual Consciousness. This week we continue exploring the modern mystics who have had the greatest impact on my own theology and practice.

Practical Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill