The Cloud of Unknowing Book Group

As part of our theme for Lent this year, a pilgrimage of prayer, we gathered online each Tuesday evening from 8 pm to 9pm BST to reflect and discuss the great spiritual classic The Cloud of Unknowing. This only took us roughly half way through the text. Canon Emma is delighted to welcome you to complete this book in the six weeks after Easter.

Written in the fourteenth century by an unknown Carthusian, The Cloud of Unknowing is a unique and enigmatic masterpiece of medieval English mysticism. Its description of intense contemplation, motivated by love and stripped of all thought, as the way to the Divine still resonates today with those who seek God beyond all knowing and within the silence of our hearts. We will be reading the Penguin Classic version translated by A.C. Spearing and each week we will being focusing on just a few chapters which will take us to the end of the text.

Reserve your space and you will be sent a Zoom link for the event.

The group is free, but any donation you may wish to make to the mission and ministry of the Cathedral will be warmly welcomed.

Each week, Canon Emma will begin with a brief introduction followed by discussion and then concluding with prayer.

Week One – 2nd April

Tricks and Stratagems: Chapters 28 to 40

Week Two – 9th April

The Life of Prayer: Chapters 41 to 50

Week Three – 16th April

The Problem of Language: Chapters 51 to 61

Week Four – 23rd April

The Faculties of the Soul: Chapters 62-68

Week Five – 30th April

Nothing and Nowhere: Chapters 69 to 75

In May we will be beginning a new book, The Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich.

Host or Publisher Canterbury Cathedral