Seven Steps of the Ladder of Spiritual Love

Seven Steps of the Ladder of Spiritual Love is a book written by Jan van Ruysbroeck, a Flemish mystic and spiritual writer of the late Middle Ages. The book is a guide to spiritual growth and the attainment of divine love, and it outlines seven stages of the spiritual journey that lead to a deeper union with God. Van Ruysbroeck’s approach to spirituality is grounded in the Christian tradition, but he draws on a variety of mystical and contemplative practices from across the religious spectrum. The seven steps he outlines are: awakening, purification, illumination, contemplation, unity, transformation, and consummation. Throughout the book, Van Ruysbroeck emphasizes the importance of self-knowledge, humility, and detachment from worldly desires as prerequisites for spiritual growth. He also stresses the need for a deep and intimate relationship with God, which he describes as a ''spiritual marriage'' between the soul and the divine. Seven Steps of the Ladder of Spiritual Love is a profound and inspiring work that has influenced generations of spiritual seekers. Its insights into the nature of the human soul and its relationship with God continue to resonate with readers today.Christian mysticism. Contents: The First Step: Conformity with God’s Will; The Second Step: Voluntary Poverty; The Third Step: Purity of Soul and Body; The Fourth Step: Humility and Her Four Daughter-Virtues, As a Spring With Four Streams; The Fifth Step: The Highest of All the Virtues, The Striving After God’s Honour in the Inner Life; The Sixth Step: The Contemplative Life in Its First Moment of Union With the Trinity; The Seventh Step: The Contemplative Life in Its Second Moment: The Annihilation in God’s Essence.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world’s literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.