A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life ; The Spirit of Love

William Law

Paulist Press, 1978 - Religion - 526 pages

"Few things are more needed for the spiritual definition of this age than a recovery of our mystical patrimony. The Classics of Western Spirituality(TM) happily and competently provides for this need." Louis Dupre T.L. Riggs Professor in Philosophy of Religion, Yale University William Law: A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, The Spirit of Love edited by Paul G. Stanwood, introduction by Austin Warren and Paul G. Stanwood, preface by John Booty "In Eternal Nature, or the Kingdom of Heaven, materiality stands in life and light: it is the light's glorious Body, or that garment wherewith light is clothed, and therefore has all the properties of light in it, and only differs from light as it is its brightness and beauty, as the holder and displayer of all its colors, powers, and virtues." William Law, 1686-1761 Often called the greatest of the post-Reformation English mystics, William Law was born in King's Cliffe, England, became a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and was ordained a priest in the Anglican Church. After losing his position at Cambridge for refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance to George I, he became the center of a small spiritual community. He was a religious guide to the Gibbon family and included among his disciples John and Charles Wesley. His practical work as a spiritual director-as expressed in this, his best-known piece, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life-deeply influenced the English Evangelical Revival. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church says this of the book: "The simplicity of its teaching and its vigorous style soon established the work as a classic, which has probably had more influence than any other post-Reformation spiritual book except the Pilgrim's Progress." In his later years Law became an intense admirer of the teaching of Jacob Boehme on the coincidence of opposites. He gave this doctrine an original turn in his little-known but exquisite mystical treatises-the most important being The Spirit of Love. This double selection, edited from first texts instead of reprints, demonstrates the range of Law's thought and his development as a genius of style and devotion. +

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - booksontrial - LibraryThing

William Law in this work reminds me of Leo Tolstoy in his late writings. Both of them write with a limpid style, both make moral arguments that are undeniably logical and rational, both make severe ...

User Review  - Tuty - Christianbook.com

This reading is beyond my expectations. It stimulates to give thoughts to issues that you would otherwise consider trivial. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Stirs hunger and thirst to go deeper into God.

Contents

• A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life: 41
• The Spirit of Love: 353
• Bibliography: 499
• Indexes: 501

Popular passages

Page 59 - But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full ! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

Bibliographic information

• Title: A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life ; The Spirit of Love; Classics of Western spirituality; Everyman's library, 91; The classics of western spirituality : a library of the great spiritual masters
• Author: William Law
• Editor: P. G. Stanwood
• Contributor: P. G. Stanwood
• Publisher: Paulist Press, 1978
• ISBN: 0809121441, 9780809121441
• Length: 526 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christian Living / General