Mysticism in the 21st Century

Book excerpt: A mystic tradition can be considered a path or school of spirituality in which ones seeks a direct, personal experience of the Divine Presence - in whatever form that may be - without barriers or intermediaries. It could be said that while religions offer believers a system of belief, mystic traditions offer practitioners a system of experience. In Mysticism in the 21st Century (2nd edition), Monette examines eight contemporary spiritual movements: African Traditional, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Sufism, Tantra, Witchcraft, and Yoga, providing the reader with an introduction to this branch of the study of religion. In additional to detailed notes, each chapter also includes a recommended reading list for further study, online sources, and review questions at the end of each chapter. Dr. Connell R. Monette is Associate Professor of Religion at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (Morocco), where he also serves as Mohammed VI Library Associate Director. He has a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from University of Toronto, and his major areas of research are medieval literature and religion.