This modern classic provides the most concise overview available of all the key concepts and people who have shaped the Eastern and Western Christian spiritual heritage. It stands above the field today, as it did when the author first saw a critical need for it more than twenty years ago. Now, this readable and authoritative introduction to Christian spirituality can be used and enjoyed by a new generation of readers and students. Holmes proceeds from the Jewish antecedents through the New Testament period, monasticism, the Middle Ages, Byzantine spirituality, and the modern period. He closes with key contemporary figures such as Simone Weil, Thomas merton, and Martin Luther King, Jr. This book is a fascinating reading and an invaluable reference tool for those who want a quick explanation of the significance of a person or idea, or who are interested ina broad overview of the entire field
