About
Written in the 14th century by an anonymous English monk, The Cloud of Unknowing explores human interaction with the divine, offering guidance on prayer and achieving unity with God. At the core of the book is the assertion that God is unreachable through cerebral means and only through the power of love. One must abandon the intellect, putting a 'cloud of forgetting' beneath oneself, hiding the world and all its concerns, and focus as much as possible on God, who exists behind a cloud of unknowing, which can only be approached through a love that transcends all conceptual thought. Only by abandoning all traditional understanding of God and surrendering to the cloud of unknowing can the worshipper begin to glimpse the true nature of God. One of the great mystical treatises of all time, The Cloud of Unknowing is a thought-provoking exploration of the divine and the mysteries of spirituality.
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Reviews
"This audio version of a 14th-century English classic provides instruction on using contemplative prayer to come to know God. While it deals in highly serious matters, its tone is earnestly friendly and supportive, though also serious and occasionally monitory. Nicholas Boulton mirrors these characteristics with his pleasant voice; smooth, clear delivery; and amiable manner. He moves at a conversational pace, but listeners still may have trouble keeping up. The 1922 "translation" of Evelyn Underhill retains some of the original's Middle English vocabulary and turns of phrase, which may range from difficult to incomprehensible for contemporary listeners. Boulton's performance is congenial, easy to listen to, and true to Underhill's version of the work, but the choice of text may be beyond many listeners. W.M. � AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine"
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