Books to Support Your Contemplative Practice

Click on a book cover to learn more about the book.
Or, scroll down for a list of over 60 other recommended
books on contemplative spirituality. 

Answering the Contemplative Call

The Big Book of Christian Mysticism

The Lion, the Mouse and the Dawn Treader

The Big Book of Christian Mysticism includes a list of recommended books. Follow these links to purchase copies of these books.

1. The Holy Bible
2. C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (N.B. my book The Lion, the Mouse and the Dawn Treader is a commentary on this book)
3. Bernard McGinn, The Essential Writing of Christian Mysticism
4. Harvey Egan, An Anthology of Christian Mysticism
5. Cynthia Bourgeault, Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening
6. Richard Rohr, Everything Belongs: the Gift of Contemplative Prayer
7. Julian of Norwich, Revelation of Love
8. Thomas Merton, The Inner Experience: Notes on Contemplation
9. Evelyn Underhill, Practical Mysticism
10. Anonymous, The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counsel
11. Mary Margaret Funk, Thoughts Matter
12. Anonymous, The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way
13. Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
14. John Ruusbroec, The Spiritual Espousals and Other Works
15. Teresa of Avila, Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila
    1. Volume I: The Book of Her Life
    2. Volume II: The Way of Perfection & Interior Castle
16. Benedicta Ward, tr., The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks
17. Meister Eckhart, Selected Writings
18. Pseudo-Dionysius, The Complete Works
19. Thérèse of Lisieux, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography
20. John of the Cross, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross
21. Anthony Bloom, Beginning to Pray
22. Hildegard of Bingen, Selected Writings
23. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence
24. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and Makarios of Corinth (compilers), The Philokalia
    1. Volume 1
    2. Volume 2
    3. Volume 3
    4. Volume 4
    5. Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart
25. Douglas V. Steere, ed., Quaker Spirituality: Selected Writings
26. Michael Casey, Fully Human Fully Divine: An Interactive Christology
27. Walter Hilton, The Scale of Perfection
28. Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises
29. Simone Weil, Waiting for God
30. Evagrius Pontus, The Praktikos & Chapters on Prayer
31. Gerald May, Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology
32. Ruth Burrows, Guidelines for Mystical Prayer
33. Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation

Of course, new books are always being published (and I’m always discovering books that are new for me, even if they’re years (or centuries!) old. So here are some additional books that may be useful for supporting your contemplative practice. Again, follow the links to purchase these books.

1. A Monk of the West, Christianity and the Doctrine of Non-dualism
2. Abhishiktananda, Prayer
3. Andrew Louth, The Wilderness of God
4. Bede Griffiths, Essential Writings
5. Bernard McGinn, Early Christian Mystics: The Divine Vision of Spiritual Masters
6. Bernard of Clairvaux, Selected Writings
7. Bruno Barnhart, Second Simplicity: The Inner Shape of Christianity
8. Cynthia Bourgeault, The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind — A New Perspective on Christ and His Message
9. Dorothee Soelle, The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance
10. Francis Acharya, Cistercian Spirituality: An Ashram Perspective
11. George MacDonald, Unspoken Sermons, Series 1 to 3
12. George Maloney, S.J., Prayer of the Heart: The Contemplative Tradition of the Christian East
13. Harvey D. Egan, Soundings in the Christian Mystical Tradition
14. Howard Thurman, Essential Writings
15. Hugo Enomiya-Lassalle, Living in New Consciousness
16. Ilia Delio, The Emergent Christ: Exploring the Meaning of Catholic in an Evolutionary Universe
17. James P. Danaher, Contemplative Prayer: A Theology for the Twenty-First Century
18. Kenneth Leech, Prayer and Prophecy: The Essential Kenneth Leech
19. Kim Nataraja, ed., Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation Through the Centuries
20. Maggie Ross, Writing the Icon of the Heart: In Silence Beholding
21. Martin Laird, A Sunlit Absence: Silence, Awareness and Contemplation
22. Mary Jo Meadow et al., Christian Insight Meditation
23. Meister Eckhart, Complete Mystical Works
24. Mirabai Starr, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
25. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Divine Milieu
26. Raimon Panikkar, Christophany: The Fullness of Man
27. Richard Rohr, The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See
28. Sara Grant, Toward an Alternative Theology: Confessions of a Non-Dualist Christian
29. Thomas Matus, Yoga and the Jesus Prayer
30. Thomas Merton, An Introduction to Christian Mysticism: Initiation into the Monastic Tradition 3
31. Tilden Edwards, Embracing the Call to Spiritual Depth: Gifts for Contemplative Living
32. William Johnston, Mystical Theology: The Science of Love
33. Willigis Jäger, Mysticism for Modern Times: Conversations with Willigis Jäger

Disclaimer: these books represent a variety of theological, spiritual and philosophical perspectives. I do not agree with everything found in all of these books, and neither will you. Read with mindfulness and a discerning heart. That said, each books does have something valuable to say regarding the contemplative life. So: happy exploring!