Reforming the Monastery: Protestant Theologies of the Religious Life by Greg Peters, and: Mysticism and the Spiritual Quest: A Crosscultural Anthology ed. by Phyllis Zagano
Journal of ecumenical studies January 1, 2017 Minlib Dallh
A review of two books examines Protestant theologies of monastic life and cross-cultural mysticism. Greg Peters argues that sixteenth-century Reformers like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli criticized medieval monasticism but did not seek its total abolition; many Protestant theologians from the sixteenth to twentieth centuries advocated a reformed monastic life congruent with the gospel. Phyllis Zagano's anthology introduces mystical traditions of Hinduism, Chinese religions, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, offering primary texts for comparative reading. The review notes Peters's book overlooks the connection between monasticism and mysticism, while Zagano's volume lacks depth and omits early Eastern Christian mystics. Both books, despite shortcomings, serve readers interested in Protestant monasticism or world mystical traditions.