The Wiley-Blackwell companion to Christian mysticism /

Lamm (Georgetown Univ.) has done first-rate editorial work in the organization and selection of the 39 interpretive essays included in this Companion. The essays follow her own concise and appropriately titled "A Guide to Christian Mysticism," which will serve equally to orient readers new to the subject or with some level of prior knowledge. This new volume complements the earlier Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality (2005), edited by Arthur Holder. The Blackwell volume's treatment of practices considered integral to the formation of a Christian life necessarily includes topics that are closely related and at some points overlap with those treated by Lamm and her contributing authors. The one recently published work that closely matches Lamm's in its range and quality of current scholarship is The Cambridge Companion to Christian Mysticism (2012), edited by Amy Hollywood and Patricia Beckman. The Cambridge work is shorter (390 pages) and organized by means of a quite different set of categories than Lamm's. Libraries should acquire both if possible. Together they open a rich world of creative, inspired writing to contemporary students and fellow scholars. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers. G. R. Thursby emeritus, University of Florida