Mystical understanding transfigured Christianity in the Middle Ages and led to some of its most sublime prose and poetry. Originally published in 1982, this was the first book of its kind to bring together some of the medieval mystics and to relate the depths of their understanding to modern life and to world views. The author, a writer and broadcaster on modern mystics and on the mystical aspects of eastern religions, particularly Zen, has interpreted each of these very different medieval mystics afresh.

Anne Bancroft (1923-2020) was the Editor of the Buddhist Society's Journal The Middle Way and the author of many books including Religions of the East (1974), The Luminous Vision (1982), The Buddhist World (1984), Origins of the Sacred (1988), A Spiritual Journey (1991) and Zen: Direct pointing to reality (1995). Her particular strength lay in understanding women's spirituality, which she reflected in two widely translated books: Weavers of Wisdom: Women mystics of the twentieth century (1989) and Women in search of the sacred (1996). In retirement, Anne became a trustee of the Buddhist centre at Sharpham near Totnes.