Ecstasy and Intimacy: When the Holy Spirit Meets the Human Spirit

by Edith M. Humphrey

Overview

Foreword by Eugene H. Peterson

Countering the generic "spirituality" so popular today, Edith Humphrey presents an authentic Christian spirituality that draws on Scripture and the profound riches of the Christian tradition — Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant. Humphrey shows how Christian spirituality is rooted in the Trinity, in the ecstasy ("going out" of oneself) and intimacy (profound closeness with another) marking the relations between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The book embodies a banquet of excerpts from the greatest spiritual writers in history — such luminaries as St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, Julian of Norwich, St. Teresa of Ávila, the Wesley brothers, Thomas Merton, and Alexander Schmemann. Humphrey's elegant prose, laced with stories and images from her own life, beautifully uncovers the ways in which God's trinitarian life informs all human communion. Each chapter ends with questions for further reflection and discussion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802831477
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	12/13/2005
Pages:	305
Sales rank:	882,441
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.78(d)

About the Author

Edith M. Humphrey is William F. Orr Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Her other books include The Ladies and the Cities and Joseph and Aseneth.

Editorial Reviews

The Living Church
"A well-written, thoughtful, learned, and enlivening invitation to the grand adventure that is orthodox Christianity."

Ellen T. Charry
— Princeton Theological Seminary
"This thoughtful contribution to applied Christian spirituality places the Trinity and the Incarnation squarely at the center of Christian identity. Further, it brings the riches of the Christian spiritual tradition to those who seek to dwell in God."

Robert Fastiggi
— Sacred Heart Major Seminary
"In an age filled with much confusion, Edith Humphrey points readers to the hidden treasures of Scripture and the authentic meaning of the Christian life, rooted in the mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnate Word. Ecstasy and Intimacy invites us to discover 'the astonishing potential of Christian intimacy with God' revealed in the Holy Scriptures."

John Chryssavgis
— Holy Cross School of Theology
"Ecstasy and Intimacy is a book of reawakening and rediscovery, of prose and poetry. It discerns the mystical in the traditional, the spiritual in the secular, drawing wisdom from 'the communion of the saints.' It reflects on the spiritual dimensions of faith, love, and the creation in a refreshing way, deriving insights from 'the communion of the Holy Spirit.'"

Marva J. Dawn
— author of Reaching Out without Dumbing Down
"Edith Humphrey invites us into the rich heritage of the Church throughout time and space and thereby into orthodox, catholic, evangelical spirituality in the best sense of all four of those words. She introduces us especially to Eastern theologians and takes the elitism out of mysticism to welcome us into deeper worlds than we have previously known. This is an intimate conversation that spurs us toward enlarged response to God and ecstatic involvement in the world."

Anglican Planet
"Humphrey accomplishes the near-impossible task of bringing the mysteries of the divine communion, the Holy Trinity, down to earth. . . To read this book is to discover the mystery of God's presence in the communion of saints and in our own lives: ecstasy and intimacy, shot through with suffering love. You may find yourself, as I did, weeping as you read, but you will come to the end deeply satisfied having tasted something of the real story, in all its height and depth."

Reivews in Religion & Theology
"This is one of the most thorough introductory-level studies of the nature of Christian spirituality available, situating its life and practices firmly within the broad Christian doctrinal tradition. . . For those looking for an accessibly, readable introduction to the shape of the Christian spiritual tradition, and the relation between doctrine and spirituality: look no further."

From the Publisher