Wonderful and Dark is This Road: Discovering the Mystic Path

Book excerpt: In Wonderful and Dark Is This Road, Emilie Griffin invites us to discover the fascinating, yet often misunderstood, spiritual path of mysticism. Griffin explores the origins of mysticism, the different expressions and gifts of mysticism, and the recognized stages on the mystical journey. In beautifully transparent prose, she illuminates the insights of famous mystics throughout the centuries, from the Apostle Paul, to the Desert Fathers and Mothers, to Thomas Merton and Evelyn Underhill. Ultimately, and perhaps most importantly, Griffin reveals mysticism as a spiritual path that is open to us all, offering the gift of an intimate knowledge of divine love to those who choose it. This is a book that has the potential to transform not only our inner lives, but our world.