“In Victorine spirituality, contemplation gives birth to charity. Charity involves love, service to others, social justice, liberation, healing and compassion.”

So begins a fine introduction to the Victorine spiritual tradition - one of the less well known traditions to emerge during the Middle Ages for the Victorines - and other emerging orders of the same period - contemplation and compassionate service to others went together.

It was in 1113 that William of Champeaux founded the Augustinian Monastery of St. Victor, close to Paris. During the 12th century the Victorines continued to attract scholars and conteplatives alike. Hugh of St. Victor was their leading theologian. The great Victorine mystic was Richard of St. Victor who was the prior of the monastery from 1162 until his death in 1173. For Dante, he was “in speculation not a man, but more.” St. Bonaventure recognised him as a master of the contemplative life.

The author notes that Richard is the first medieval mystic to apply a psychological method to mystical experience. The contemplative moves from contemplation of visible things through contemplation of invisible things to final transforming union.

For Richard, the spiritual life begins with contrition. The soul then longs to meditate and this requires mental effort. This, in turn, leads to a state of complete self-surrender, intense devotion and wonder.

The author notes that for Richard, there is a “fourth degree of love” when the soul, having tasted contemplation, returns to compassionate work in the world. This is surely in imitation of Christ:

“In the third degree, the soul is so to speak put to death. In the fourth, it is raised in Christ.”

Richard’s psychological method means that he was interested in the way in which our rational and non-rational faculties unite in prayer. Contemplation for him had a much wider meaning then it is sometimes given. For him, our intellect is essential to contemplation. Indeed, no aspect of life is to be isolated from the contemplative act. Theology and spirituality cannot be compartmentalised. His work Benjamin major deals to a certain extent with a psychological study of mysticism.

Above all, the author succeeds in showing us that the Victorines lived and practised devotion to Christ. Doctrine was devotion to them. Their theological endeavour was by no means separated from their contemplative lives .

At a time when many Christians are seeking out authentic spirituality, this work is a welcome addition.

Pravin Thevathasan

Theotokos Catholic Books - Book Reviews Section - www.theotokos.org.uk