Underhill's Mysticism
Mike Ervin

Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness (first published in 1911) is one of the most influential works on mysticism in the 20th century. Underhill, an Anglican lay theologian and mystic, offers a comprehensive and systematic exploration of mystical experience across religious traditions, with a particular emphasis on Christian mysticism.

Here is a comprehensive summary of the book, organized by its major sections and key themes:

Overview of the Book

Underhill aims to define mysticism as the expression of the direct, experiential union of the soul with the Absolute (God). She distinguishes mysticism from theology, philosophy, magic, and occultism. The book combines historical, psychological, and theological perspectives.

Part I: The Mystic Fact

This section argues that mysticism is a universal human experience, not confined to any one religion or culture.

1. Mysticism Defined: Mysticism is the art of union with Reality. It is a spiritual consciousness that seeks direct experience with the Divine.
2. Characteristics: Mystical experience is ineffable (beyond words), noetic (involves knowledge), transitory, and passive (received rather than willed).
3. Misunderstandings Addressed: Mysticism is not the same as visions, voices, or psychic phenomena; it is about transformation and union.

Part II: The Mystic Way

This is the heart of the book, outlining a five-stage path to mystical union that Underhill calls the “Mystic Way.”

1. Awakening

• The soul becomes aware of a deeper spiritual reality.
• Often accompanied by a sense of yearning or dissatisfaction with worldly life.

2. Purgation

• The mystic undergoes inner purification.
• Detachment from sin, self, and worldly distractions.
• Includes moral and ascetic disciplines.

3. Illumination

• The soul begins to perceive Divine Reality more clearly.
• Characterized by joy, insight, and an increased awareness of God in all things.
• Often accompanied by visions, beauty, or inspiration.

4. Dark Night of the Soul

• A period of spiritual dryness, despair, and loss of Divine presence.
• Seen as necessary for stripping the soul of all attachments, even to spiritual experiences.
• Most famously described by St. John of the Cross.

5. Union

• The soul achieves a permanent, conscious union with God.
• Often described in terms of spiritual marriage (as in St. Teresa of Ávila).
• Involves a life of service, humility, and deep peace.

Part III: Voices of the Mystics

Here, Underhill surveys the writings and experiences of major mystics throughout history to illustrate the stages of the Mystic Way.

• Christian Mystics: St. Teresa of Ávila, St. John of the Cross, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich.
• Mystics from Other Traditions: Plotinus (Neoplatonism), the Sufis (e.g., Rumi), and some Hindu and Buddhist mystics.
• Common Themes: Emphasis on love, surrender, paradox (God is both near and far), and the transformation of the self.

Part IV: Mysticism and Theology

• Mysticism is not in conflict with organized religion, but is its deepest expression.
• However, mystics often go beyond formal doctrines to experience the Divine directly.
• Theological formulations are seen as secondary to the primary mystical experience.

Part V: Mysticism and Psychology

• Underhill anticipates modern psychological approaches to religious experience.
• Mysticism involves both the subconscious and conscious mind but is ultimately a response to an external, transcendent Reality.
• She distinguishes true mysticism from pathological states (e.g., hallucinations or mental illness).

Part VI: Mysticism and Symbolism

• Symbol, metaphor, and image are crucial tools for mystics to express the ineffable.
• Mystics use poetic, metaphorical language (light, fire, marriage, journey) to describe union with God.
• Religious rituals and sacraments may act as gateways to mystical consciousness.

Major Themes

1. The Transformational Nature of Mysticism: True mysticism changes a person morally, spiritually, and emotionally.
2. Universality: Though most examples are Christian, mysticism is a universal phenomenon.
3. Integration: Mysticism should lead not to withdrawal but to active love and service in the world.
4. Divine Love as Central: Love is both the means and end of the mystic path.

Conclusion

Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism remains a landmark work because of its rich combination of scholarly insight and deep spiritual sensitivity. She presents mysticism not as an abstract idea, but as a lived reality—one that offers both a personal path to transformation and a witness to the possibility of Divine union.

And below is a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness. The book is divided into two main parts: Part One: The Mystic Fact (descriptive and theoretical), and Part Two: The Mystic Way (practical and experiential). Each part has several chapters, and I’ve summarized the major points in each.

PART ONE: THE MYSTIC FACT

Chapter 1: The Point of Departure

• Underhill introduces mysticism as the art of union with Reality (the Absolute, or God).
• She explains the purpose of the book: to explore mysticism as a vital spiritual experience, not merely as theology or metaphysics.
• Distinguishes mysticism from occultism, magic, and visionary experiences.

Chapter 2: The Mystic Fact

• Discusses mysticism as a universal experience, found in all ages and cultures.
• Emphasizes direct experience over intellectual belief.
• Notes the ineffability and transformative nature of mystical experiences.

Chapter 3: Mysticism and Vitalism

• Examines how mysticism aligns with the ideas of vitalism (a philosophy that sees life as dynamic and spiritual).
• Suggests that mysticism is not escapist but deeply life-affirming.
• Contrasts mechanistic materialism with the mystic’s living, organic approach to truth.

Chapter 4: The Characteristics of Mysticism

• Describes William James’s four marks of mystical experience: ineffability, noetic quality, transiency, and passivity.
• Introduces the idea of “contemplation” as central to mysticism.
• Emphasizes the role of love, surrender, and union.

Chapter 5: Mysticism and Psychology

• Explores the psychological aspects of mystical states.
• Argues that mysticism is not mental illness or escapism but a normal (though advanced) development of human consciousness.
• Considers subconscious processes, intuition, and the role of symbol.

Chapter 6: Mysticism and Symbolism

• Discusses the use of symbolic language in mysticism (e.g., fire, light, marriage, journey).
• Mystics employ metaphor to describe what is beyond ordinary language.
• Sacramental and poetic language is seen as a bridge to Divine reality.

Chapter 7: Mysticism and Theology

• Analyzes the relationship between mysticism and religion.
• While institutional religion offers structure, mysticism offers direct experience.
• Notes tensions and complementarities between doctrine and mystical insight.

PART TWO: THE MYSTIC WAY

Underhill outlines the five stages of the mystic path in detail.

Chapter 1: The Awakening of the Self

• This is the initial call or realization of a deeper reality.
• Often begins with a sense of restlessness or dissatisfaction with ordinary life.
• The soul becomes aware of the Divine as the goal.

Chapter 2: The Purification of the Self

• Involves renunciation, self-discipline, and moral purification.
• The mystic detaches from ego, sin, and materialism.
• Ascetic practices and ethical reform are emphasized.

Chapter 3: The Illumination of the Self

• The soul begins to perceive Divine truth and beauty.
• Mystics experience God in nature, art, and prayer.
• Joy, clarity, and spiritual insight often characterize this stage.

Chapter 4: Voices and Visions

• A supplemental chapter on mystical phenomena such as visions, locutions (hearing divine voices), and supernatural experiences.
• Underhill warns against overemphasizing these, distinguishing them from the core mystical experience.
• These phenomena can be genuine but may also be distractions.

Chapter 5: The Darkness of the Soul

• Also called the “Dark Night of the Soul” (from St. John of the Cross).
• A stage of spiritual desolation, where the sense of God disappears.
• Essential for purging attachment even to spiritual consolation.

Chapter 6: The Unselfing of the Self

• The ego continues to die so that the true self—united with God—may emerge.
• The mystic experiences increasing humility, detachment, and love.
• Prepares for the final union by releasing all remnants of the self.

Chapter 7: The Union of the Self with the Absolute

• The final stage: permanent conscious union with God.
• Described as “spiritual marriage” (following Teresa of Ávila).
• Characterized by serenity, charity, and a deepened life of service.

Final Note

Underhill concludes by affirming that mysticism is the fulfillment of human life, not an escape from it. The true mystic does not withdraw from the world but returns to it transformed, to act with greater compassion and wisdom.

Further thoughts: Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism had a significant and enduring impact on 20th- and 21st-century Christian spirituality, especially in Anglican, Catholic, and ecumenical circles. Here’s a focused look at how her ideas influenced later Christian spirituality:

1. Revival of Mystical Theology in Mainline Christianity

Underhill helped to rehabilitate mysticism as a serious and respectable aspect of Christian theology, at a time when many viewed mystics with suspicion or as marginal figures.

• Before Underhill, mysticism was often treated as irrational, suspect, or exclusively Catholic.
• After her work, mysticism gained recognition within Anglicanism, Protestantism, and ecumenical dialogues as a legitimate dimension of spiritual life.
• She bridged the gap between academic theology and experiential spirituality.

2. Influence on Anglican and Protestant Spirituality

Underhill, herself an Anglican, became a model for integrating deep contemplative practice with active ecclesial life.

• She influenced Anglican retreat movements and spiritual direction programs.
• Her writings were widely used in Anglican seminaries, retreat houses, and spiritual formation curricula.
• Her emphasis on contemplation, daily prayer, and the sacramental imagination helped reintroduce a mystical dimension to Protestant traditions often focused more on doctrine or activism.

3. Catalyst for Spiritual Direction and Retreat Movements

Underhill was a pioneer in the modern retreat movement, offering spiritual guidance to laypeople and clergy alike.

• She was one of the first laywomen to lead retreats in the Church of England.
• Her approach combined psychological insight with classical spiritual disciplines, influencing later models of spiritual direction (e.g., the Anglican Society of Retreat Conductors).

4. Impact on Catholic Thinkers and Ecumenical Dialogue

Though Underhill was Anglican, her sympathetic and scholarly treatment of Catholic mystics—especially Teresa of Ávila, John of the Cross, and Meister Eckhart—made her a bridge figure.

• Catholic scholars and spiritual writers (e.g., Thomas Merton, Karl Rahner) cited her as opening space for ecumenical appreciation of mysticism.
• She anticipated later Second Vatican Council ideas on the universal call to holiness and the value of lay spirituality.

5. Precursor to the Christian Contemplative Movement

Underhill’s writing helped lay the foundation for the Christian contemplative revival in the mid-20th century and beyond.

• She was a forerunner to the Centering Prayer movement (e.g., Thomas Keating, Basil Pennington).
• Influenced the revival of interest in Julian of Norwich, the Cloud of Unknowing, and other medieval contemplatives.
• Her work anticipated later interest in nondual consciousness and the inner journey, even within Christianity.

6. Integration of Psychology and Spirituality

Underhill’s psychological insight into mystical experience influenced later spiritual writers who explored the integration of the psyche and the soul.

• Her sensitivity to emotional development, symbolism, and unconscious processes enriched later Christian psychotherapy and spiritual formation.
• Preceded the work of Morton Kelsey, Gerald May, and James Finley, who drew on psychology in the service of spiritual growth.

7. Influence on Feminist and Lay Spirituality

Underhill, as a laywoman writing authoritatively on theology and spirituality in the early 20th century, became an important figure in the history of Christian feminism.

• She showed that deep spiritual authority did not require ordination.
• Her affirmation of love, experience, and the whole person as central to spiritual growth inspired later feminist theologians to reclaim mysticism as a space for women’s voices.

In Summary: Evelyn Underhill’s Lasting Contributions

• Re-legitimized mysticism within Protestant Christianity.
• Encouraged a renewed contemplative life across denominational lines.
• Influenced spiritual directors, retreat leaders, theologians, and laypeople.
• Opened paths for integrating personal experience with formal theology.
• Inspired generations of writers to view mysticism as the heart of Christian life, not its fringe.

Underhill's Mysticism

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