The Spiritual Guide

First written in 1675 by Miguel de Molinos, The Spiritual Guide still carries advice and information relevant to the art of interior prayer today. In the seventeenth century, it provoqued sensational reactions, both of approval and controversy. Here is the present-day readerís chance to discover a text, whose promotion of an ìinterior way to contemplation and the rich treasure of inner peaceî, induced the praise of notable clerics within Europe, and simultaneously the Inquisitionís condemnation. What makes Molinosís word so unusual is his appeal to the ordinary lay person and not simply to those in the cloister. A very readable work of traditional mystical teaching, the book distinguishes between the ëexteriorí method of worship taught by the Church and the ëinteriorí method advocated by Molinos. Molinos doesnít only write for those at the beginning of their journey towards mystical prayer, but also for those in the highest reaches of contemplation. Boilingís brilliantly accurate translation includes an incisive introduction, allowing the reader to gain a better understanding of the historical background of the text, the ideas of which brought Molinos inner peace, as well as his own death.