The Life of the Spirit and
the
Life of To-day
by Evelyn Underhill
1922
Initio tu, Domine, terram fundasti; et opera manuum tuarum sunt caeli
Ipsi peribunt, tu autem permanes; et omnes sicut vestimentum veterascent.
Et sicut opertorium mutabis eos, et mutabuntur;
Tu autem idem ipse es, et anni tui non deficient.
Filii servorum tuorum habitabunt; et semen eorum in seculum dirigetur.
Psalm cii: 25–28
Contents and Preface
Contents
PREFACE
1. THE CHARACTERS OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
2. HISTORY AND THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT
3. PSYCHOLOGY AND THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT:
(I) THE ANALYSIS OF MIND
4. PSYCHOLOGY AND THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT:
(II) CONTEMPLATION AND SUGGESTION
5. INSTITUTIONAL RELIGION AND THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT
6. THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT IN THE INDIVIDUAL
7. THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT AND EDUCATION
8. THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT AND THE SOCIAL ORDER
PRINCIPAL WORKS USED AND CITED
INDEX
PREFACE
This book owes its origin to the fact that in the autumn of 1921 the authorities of Manchester College, Oxford invited me to deliver the inaugural course of a lectureship in religion newly established under the will of the late Professor Upton. No conditions being attached to this appointment, it seemed a suitable opportunity to discuss, so far as possible in the language of the moment, some of the implicits which I believe to underlie human effort and achievement in the domain of the spiritual life. The material gathered for this purpose has now been added to, revised, and to some extent re-written, in order to make it appropriate to the purposes of the reader rather than the hearer. As the object of the book is strictly practical, a special attempt has been made to bring the classic experiences of the spiritual life into line with the conclusions of modern psychology, and in particular, to suggest some of the directions in which recent psychological research may cast light on the standard problems of the religious consciousness. This subject is still in its infancy; but it is destined, I am sure, in the near future to exercise a transforming influence on the study of spiritual experience, and may even prove to be the starting point of a new apologetic. Those who are inclined either to fear or to resent the application to this experience of those laws which—as we are now gradually discovering—govern the rest of our psychic life, or who are offended by the resulting demonstrations of continuity between our most homely and most lofty reactions to the universe, might take to themselves the plain words of Thomas à Kempis: “Thou art a man and not God, thou art flesh and no angel.”
Since my subject is not the splendor of historic sanctity but the normal life of the Spirit, as it may be and is lived in the here-and-now, I have done my best to describe the character and meaning of this life in the ordinary terms of present day thought, and with little or no use of the technical language of mysticism. For the same reason, no attention has been given to those abnormal experiences and states of consciousness, which, too often regarded as specially “mystical,” are now recognized by all competent students as representing the unfortunate accidents rather than the abiding substance of spirituality. Readers of these pages will find nothing about trances, Ecstasies and other rare psychic phenomena; which sometimes indicate holiness, and sometimes only disease. For information on these matters they must go to larger and more technical works. My aim here is the more general one, of indicating first the characteristic experiences—discoverable within all great religions—which justify or are fundamental to the spiritual life, and the way in which these experiences may be accommodated to the world-view of the modern man: and next, the nature of that spiritual life as it appears in human history. The succeeding sections of the book treat in some detail the light cast on spiritual problems by mental analysis—a process which need not necessarily be conducted from the standpoint of a degraded materialism—and by recent work on the psychology of autistic thought and of suggestion. These investigations have a practical interest for every man who desires to be the “captain of his soul.” The relation in which institutional religion does or should stand to the spiritual life is also in part a matter for psychology; which is here called upon to deal with the religious aspect of the social instincts, and the problems surrounding symbols and cults. These chapters lead up to a discussion of the personal aspect of the spiritual life, its curve of growth, characters and activities; and a further section suggests some ways in which educationists might promote the up springing of this life in the young. Finally, the last chapter attempts to place the fact of the life of the Spirit in its relation to the social order, and to indicate some of the results which might follow upon its healthy corporate development. It is superfluous to point out that each of these subjects needs, at least, a volume to itself: and to some of them I shall hope to return in the future. Their treatment in the present work is necessarily fragmentary and suggestive; and is intended rather to stimulate thought, than to offer solutions.
Part of Chapter IV has already appeared in “The Fortnightly Review” under the title “Suggestion and Religious Experience.” Chapter VIII incorporates several passages from an article on “Sources of Power in Human Life” originally contributed to the “Hubert Journal.” These are reprinted by kind permission of the editors concerned. My numerous debts to previous writers are obvious, and for the most part are acknowledged in the footnotes; the greatest, to the works of Baron Von Hügel, will be clear to all students of his writings. Thanks are also due to my old friend William Scott Palmer, who read part of the manuscript and gave me much generous and valuable advice. It is a pleasure to express in this place my warm gratitude first to the Principal and authorities of Manchester College, who gave me the opportunity of delivering these chapters in their original form, and whose unfailing sympathy and kindness so greatly helped me: and secondly, to the members of the Oxford Faculty of Theology, to whom I owe the great Honor of being the first woman lecturer in religion to appear in the University list.
E.U.
Epiphany, 1922.
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1906 - The Miracles of Our Lady Saint Mary
1911 - Mysticism
1912 - Introduction to The Cloud of Unknowing
1913 - The Mystic Way
1914 - Introduction: Richard Rolle - The Fire of Love
1915 - Practical Mysticism
1915 - Introduction: Songs of Kabir
1916 - Introduction: John of Ruysbroeck
1920 - The Essentials of Mysticism, and other Essays
1922 - The Spiral Way
1922 - The Life of the Spirit and the Life of Today (Upton Lectures)
1926 - Concerning the Inner Life
1928 - Man and the Supernatural
1929 - The House of the Soul
1933 - The Golden Sequence
1933 - Mixed Pasture: Twelve Essays
1936 - The Spiritual Life
1943 - Introduction to the Letters of Evelyn Underhill
by Charles Williams
COPYRIGHT
As far as I have been able to ascertain, all of these works are now in the public domain. If you own copyright in any of these, please let me know immediately and I shall either negotiate permission to use them or remove them from the site as appropriate.
DCW
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