Medieval and Renaissance Spirituality

True spirituality does not happen in a vacuum, as a “God-and-me” phenomenon independent of any context. Rather, it develops and is lived and expressed through the cultural mindset of its time and place. In this accessible and well-illustrated book, Maria Jaoudi opens the treasures of the theology and spirituality of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in the three major Western religious traditions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Through an enlightening discussion of the architecture of Europe’s cathedrals; the work of two remarkable medieval women, Julian and Hildegard; the sefirot of the Jewish Kabbalah; the Islamic love mystics Rabi’a and Rumi; the Florentine masters of the Renaissance; and others, she shows how spirituality was made manifest in the great art and writings of the medieval and Renaissance periods. The great masters of these ages come to life to speak to readers who seek to learn more about spirituality and expand their prayer life. †