A Grammar of Holy Mystery
Classical Christian Spirituality
by Larry Hart
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
A Grammar of Holy Mystery is about Christian spirituality. It is about mysticism as a firsthand encounter with the presence of God--unfathomable, unnamable, mysterious, fulfilling. It is about classical Christianity, the way of transforming truth found in Christ, taught in Scripture, lived by saints, sages, and mystics, and passed on as a sacred trust through the centuries. Being neither liberal nor conservative, but simply Christian, it is ecumenical in spirit. For those traumatized by harsh or shallow churches, A Grammar of Holy Mystery points the way out and shows the way to a faith that renews the mind, restores the spirit, and gladdens the heart.
Larry Hart has been a peach picker, cotton chopper, grape packer, janitor, school teacher, therapist, pastor, priest, spiritual director, and author. He is a peace and justice advocate and the author of a book on war and Christian spirituality (Heaven’s Grace, Hell’s Abyss). He holds graduate degrees in counseling psychology, religion, theology, and pastoral care. Larry and Brenda, with their Queensland-Catahoula mix Jack, live a quiet, monkish rule of life on the California coast (spiritual-christian.com).
“Larry Hart’s hard work has borne fruit in this valuable resource, which I found rich and stimulating.”
—Philip Yancey, author of Where the Light Fell
“In his new book, A Grammar of Holy Mystery, Larry Hart verifies the deep message of Christ that to know the God in ‘whom we live, move, and have our being’ is life itself. In my twenty-five years of teaching religion and philosophy at the collegiate level, I often searched for a book like this which looked at, and interpreted, Christianity historically and ecumenically.”
—Deborah L. Flamino, former professor of philosophy and world religions
“Questions of spiritual origin and longing are among those Larry Hart brings to this elegantly written exploration of what he calls ‘the journey into intimacy.’ This is a book for lovers of the soul—for those who, like the author, want to be immersed in a generous approach to what the broad Christian tradition has to offer those seeking the intimacy of the soul. It is an intimacy Hart clearly experiences for himself and wishes for his readers to experience also.”
—Simon Mainwaring, author of Mark, Mutuality, and Mental Health
“I found Larry Hart’s book, with its widely varied resources, to be both an exploration and an education. In connecting the themes of peace, justice, and compassion to the deeper inner life throughout, it brought me to the realization that my own work with the vulnerable, the hungry, and victims of violence, along with every expression of simple human kindness, is spiritual practice. It boldly illustrates that Christian spirituality cannot be without social spirituality.”
—Leilani Perrelli, crisis interventionist