Polytheistic Monasticism: Voices From Pagan Cloisters is an anthology of writings from the forefront of the first wave of experimental monastic spirituality in the modern polytheist-animist revival. In this groundbreaking anthology, contemplative practitioners tell their stories of exploring classic monastic disciplines such as eremitic life, asceticism, retreat, service, and simplicity.

Marrying modern spiritual needs with roots in Celtic culture and history, A New Monastic Way is the first book to offer a monastic path to modern polytheistic and neo-pagan practitioners. Serving the growing need and desire for a contemporary monastic and ascetic tradition, it delves both into the wealth of history in the Celtic monastic heritage and expands to meet the needs and requirements of a very modern neo-pagan audience. With a complete daily office of prayer and discussion of urban and suburban monastic life, it introduces a thoroughly new concept of daily and yearly practice and prayer. Showcasing brand new ideas about contemporary polytheistic cosmology and cooperative animism, featuring many modern polytheistic prayers, and offering a progressive view of monastic asceticism for solitary and group practitioners, Ois�n Doyle provides something of interest to those who are already on a monastic path, individuals interested in adding more prayer to their current practice, and anyone who wants to maintain a relationship with living Celtic cultures.

Marrying modern spiritual needs with roots in Celtic culture and history, A New Monastic Way is the first book to offer a monastic path to modern polytheistic and neo-pagan practitioners. Serving the growing need and desire for a contemporary monastic and ascetic tradition, it delves both into the wealth of history in the Celtic monastic heritage and expands to meet the needs and requirements of a very modern neo-pagan audience. With a complete daily office of prayer and discussion of urban and suburban monastic life, it introduces a thoroughly new concept of daily and yearly practice and prayer.Showcasing brand new ideas about contemporary polytheistic cosmology and cooperative animism, featuring many modern polytheistic prayers, and offering a progressive view of monastic asceticism for solitary and group practitioners, Ois�n Doyle provides something of interest to those who are already on a monastic path, individuals interested in adding more prayer to their current practice, and anyone who wants to maintain a relationship with living Celtic cultures.

This monograph explores the original literary produce of Muslim mystics during the eighth–tenth centuries, with special attention to ninth-century mystics, such as al-Tustarī, al-Muḥāsibī, al-Kharrāz, al-Junayd and, in particular, al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī. Unlike other studies dealing with the so-called ‘Formative Period’, this book focuses on the extant writings of early mystics rather than on the later Ṣūfī compilations. These early mystics articulated what would become a hallmark of Islamic mysticism: a system built around the psychological tension between the self (nafs) and the heart (qalb) and how to overcome it. Through their writings, already at this early phase, the versatility, fluidity and maturity of Islamic mysticism become apparent. This exploration thus reveals that mysticism in Islam emerged earlier than customarily acknowledged, long before Islamic mysticism became generically known as Ṣūfism. The central figure of this book is al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī, whose teaching and inner world focus on themes such as polarity, the training of the self, the opening of the heart, the Friends of God (al-awliyāʾ), dreams and visions, divine language, mystical exegesis and more. This book thus offers a fuller picture than hitherto presented of the versatility of themes, processes, images, practices, terminology and thought models during this early period. The volume will be a key resource for scholars and students interested in the study of religion, Ṣūfī studies, Late Antiquity and Medieval Islam.

The Oxford Handbook of Christian Monasticism addresses, for the first time in one volume, multiple strands of Christian monastic practice. Forty-four essays consider historical and thematic aspects of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Protestant, and Anglican traditions, as well as contemporary 'new monasticism'.

Explores the phenomenon of monasteries from antiquity to present day as cloister places of refuge where fundamental aspects of life are regimented and spirituality is practiced.

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.