joscelyn godwin harmonies of heaven and earth

At heart, his work, like theirs, embodies the mystical currents of Christianity. Bamford writes under the sign of Hermes and in the tradition of the great spiritual romantics Novalis, Goethe, and Blake. 'This profoundly spiritual book…reveals the hidden unity between matter and spirit, between humanity, nature and the divine. ' –Joscelyn Godwin, author of Harmonies of Heaven and Earth This is a book to be read and revisited as one's own wisdom grows, hopefully, to meet it. Now it appears, with all the benefits of ripeness and a life lived with rare spiritual intensity. 'Admirers of Christopher Bamford have long waited the great work on the Christian esoteric tradition that they knew he harbored. ' –from the Introduction by Philip Zaleski Reading a text like this sets the heart on fire with love of God and gratitude for those who have devoted their lives, with whatever measure of success, to the myriad paths of the Christian life. 'Christopher Bamford is one of the few who can wed sagacity and beauty. This book, an impressionistic history of the Western spiritual tradition, follows the traces-from ancient Greece into modern times-of those who sought to know the world and themselves, while realizing that they must overcome themselves to love the world and each other.

The secret history of the West is the story of saints, mystics, alchemists, poets, and philosophers trying to unite these two streams and celebrate the sacred marriage of Logos and Sophia, Word and Wisdom. Two powerful motives weave beneath the surface of our spiritual history: the desire to know and the desire to love.

Joscelyn godwin harmonies of heaven and earth