Underhill's Practical Mysticism: One Hundred Years Later

Abstract

This essay explores the practical mysticism of Evelyn Underhill and its potential for orienting lived faith today.  One hundred years following the publication of Underhill’s Practical Mysticism, her insights and promptings assume more meaning than ever, particularly in the aftermath of many late twentieth and twenty-first century tragedies and in a milieu so influenced by technocentrism, consumerism, and disregard for the environment. The notion of a practical mysticism takes fresh shape today when the need for contemplatively edged action is great.