This title was first published in 2000: These essays ecplore the spiritual culture shared by texts and writers in Western Europe from the 13th to 17th centuries; the visionaries, mystics and nuns who were poets or scholars and the creative writers who drew on spiritual themes. The topics range chronologically from the late 13th to late 17th centuries and geographically from Germany, England, Italy, France, Spain and New Spain (Mexico), though the volume's centre is the spiritual culture of 16th-century Spain. Common concerns of each essay are the exploration of spiritual culture; how some texts and writers shape expectations attending the life of the spirit; and how they are in turn shaped by them. The sub-themes many of the essays share are the gendering of spiritual culture and the relationship between traditional literary genres like poetry and drama and spiritual discourse. Each text or spiritual figure covered here has a distinctive spiritual voice - a mystical gesture - that contributes an individual mysticism to the common spiritual culture they all share. Each scholar in her or his own way defines this mystical gesture. The essays analyze Mechthild von Magdburg, "Piers Plowman", "The Second Shepherds' Play", Catherine of Siena, Bernardo de Laredo, Teresa of Avila, Alonso de la Fuente, Luisa de Carvajal y Mendoza, Cecilian de nacimiento, Margaret Mary Alaconque and Sor Juana.

Maybe some people study prophecy for the thrill of the sensational, like adrenaline addicts chasing the next sky-dive rush. Certainly, promises given hundreds or thousands of years before their fulfillments are remarkable. However, sensationalism is not the intended purpose. And some people may think that prophecy is an ancillary, nonessential part of theology. But the premise of this book is that God-given prophecy has a far more profound purpose than sensationalism and plays an essential, inseparable part in the gospel message. Now if faith in Christ is all that is necessary for salvation, why is prophecy essential? The angel messenger who gave the Revelation to John answered that question. The angel told John, "These are the true sayings of God." Then John fell at the feet of the angel to worship him. The angel responded, "See you do it not, for I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 19:10). The angel explained that all prophecy connects to Jesus. Intrinsic to Jesus is prophecy, as is all scripture. That which predicts or speaks of His divine and human nature, His life and miracles, His death and resurrection, and His earthly and heavenly kingdom are all interconnected--they are all a part of His story, His testimony, His person. Therefore, Christ is the unspoken basis for this specific blessing given to readers of the Revelation: "Blessed are they that read and hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is at hand" (Rev. 1:3). Though there is rich reward in every book of the Bible, no other gives the aforementioned promise of blessing.

1925, Financial report included in 1926.