Mystics, Visionaries, and Prophets

Book excerpt: Winner of Catholic Press Association Book-of-the-Year Award-Spirituality Unique in its range and depth, this lavish anthology for the first time captures in a single volume the most notable spiritual writings of leading women from all periods of Christian history. Because spirituality involves more than simply prayer and piety, Madigan has selected women whose quests for intimacy with God also involves some visionary experience or social witness. Ranging from Perpetua in the third century to Mother Teresa and Edwina Gately in this century, her volume includes writings from both European women and, in the modern period, Asian, American, and African American women. Apart from redressing the heavy gender imbalance of most histories of Christianity, this volume also provides strong historical introductions to and bibliographies of the twenty-six women whose writings are generously excerpted. Women included in this volume are: Perpetua the Martyr Pelagia the Actress Brigit of Ireland Balthild the Queen of Neustria Dhuoda of Septimania Hildegard of Bingen Heloise Mechthild of Magdeburg Gertrude the Great Hadewijch Julian of Norwich Catherine of Siena Margery Kempe Teresa of Avila Jane Frances de Chantal Sojourner Truth Maria Stewart Gabrielle Bossis Dorothy Day Caryll Houselander Pauli Murray Laura Lopez Silvia Maribel Arriola Mother Teresa Cho Wha Soon Mercy Amba Oduyoye Edwina Gately