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> Merton found her mysticism "original if not strange" and saw the > "peculiar" > aspects of her mysticism simply an expression of her age. In > particular he > was against the general view of Dom David Knowles, who did dismiss > Margery > as simply an hysterical woman, in his book on the English mystics. > He said > Knowles' standards were "too rigid and too strict" and that the book > "suffers from a kind of scholarly compulsion to deny and to reject, > as if > the most important task of the student of mysticism were to uncover > false > mystics." [Mystics and Zen Masters, p. 147] > > Steve Fanning There is a clear difference between the approach of the scholar, who, hopefully, is prepared to look at and consider everything with an open mind, and that of the pastor, who is concerned with the welfare of his flock; rather as a chemist quite naturally will analyse arsenic, but a doctor would not dream of prescribing it to his patient. As a scholar I find Margery interesting, even fascinating; and I would say the same of 'The Cloud of Unknowing' or Julian of Norwich, or Walter Hilton. As a pastor I would recommend any of the last three to a parishioner seeking spiritual reading. I would not so recommend Margery, whom I would consider a disaster as a spiritual guide. And I would say much the same about Rolle. Oriens. ____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%