I come a bit late to this discussion, as I haven't been checking my
E-mail, but I think that you might be being a little harsh to at least
Richard Rolle. The notion of contemplation appears to be more fluid than it is
sometimes given credit for. Denys the Carthusian discussion various
approaches to contemplation, as does Richard ROlle for that matter -
naturally asserting that his view is the best! If numbers of extant
manuscripts are anything to go by Rolle's understanding of contemplation
appears to be have been more widely read than the Cloud-Authors. I'm not
so sure about the term mystic, it doesn't seem to have been used in
England in this period. I think that Rolle is certainly a contemplative
and if this is what is meant by mystic, then he is one. I am not so sure
about Margery Kempe who I don't know very well, and does appear to be a
bit batty, but the fluidity of the notion of 'contemplation' means that I
think she should certainly be included in any discussion of English 'mysticism'.
I was also interested by the comments made about Bynum. I find her work
very interesting, but I not quite sure what to make of this
notion of bodily mysticism, I don't really understand how it works in
terms of theology. If anyone could recommend anything to read in relation
to this I would be very grateful, as I feel a bit sceptical about it.
Louise Nelstrop
University of Birmingham
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