Table of Contents
Foreword Robert Benson ix
Introduction xi
Prayer xviii
Preface xix
1 Four degrees of Christian living 3
2 Spiritual preparation 4
3 A superior discipline 6
4 Knowledge and imagination 7
5 The cloud of forgetting 11
6 A brief dialogue 12
7 Intellectual curiosity 13
8 Regarding uncertainties 15
9 Contemplative prayer 18
10 Discernment 19
11 Evaluating thoughts 20
12 Results of contemplation 21
13 Perfect and imperfect humility 23
14 Begin with imperfect humility 24
15 Understanding humility 25
16 Contemplative humility 26
17 A critical world 28
18 Ignorance 29
19 Complaining 30
20 God responds 31
21 The text 32
22 Love and contemplation 34
23 God's spiritual provision 35
24 Contemplative love 37
25 Details 38
26 When difficult prayer becomes possible 39
27 Who should attempt contemplation? 40
28 Begin by seeking forgiveness 41
29 Endurance 42
30 Critics 43
31 Beginners and temptation 44
32 Spiritual devices 45
33 Perfect rest 46
34 God's gift 47
35 Reading, reflection, and prayer 49
36 Meditation 50
37 Special prayers 51
38 Why short prayers pierce heaven 52
39 The nature of prayer 53
40 Forgetting virtue and vice 54
41 Contemplation and indiscretion 56
42 Indiscretion produces discretion 57
43 Forgetting the self 58
44 Suppressing the self 59
45 Spiritual illusions 61
46 Spiritual enthusiasm 63
47 Approaching God 64
48 Physical aspects of prayer 66
49 Essence of perfection 68
50 Pure love 69
51 Misinterpretation 70
52 Beginners' mistakes 72
53 Outward behavior 73
54 Controlling the body 75
55 Condemning others 77
56 Common sense and common doctrine 79
57 Presumptuousbeginners 80
58 Forcing imagination 82
59 Time, place, and prayer 85
60 Desire 87
61 Spirit and flesh 88
62 Understanding spiritual activity 89
63 Mind 90
64 Reason and will 91
65 Imagination 92
66 Sensuality 93
67 The spiritual way 94
68 Nowhere is everywhere 96
69 Nothingness and love 98
70 Comprehending God 99
71 Variety of experience 101
72 Differences 103
73 Contributions 104
74 Recognition 105
75 Certainty 107
Appendix: Essay on The Cloud of Unknowing by Evelyn Underhill 109