The Mystical Element of Religion, as studied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and her friends, Volume 1 (of 2)

The author offers a disciplined study of Catholic mysticism focused on Saint Catherine of Genoa and her circle, combining biography, historico-critical inquiry, and philosophical reflection. He examines the formation and authorship of the saint’s texts, reconstructs stages of her life, and draws out a psychological-theological account of purification, mystical union, and eschatological consciousness. The work alternates general philosophical argument with close documentary and textual analysis to show how interior, experimental religion can coexist with historical and institutional forms, and insists that historical criticism and reflective thought are indispensable for a mature understanding of mystical experience.