Christ the Original Mystery

“In this brilliant study of Christian esoterism and mysticism, Jean Borella accomplishes several urgent goals: he establishes a nuanced definition of esoterism that respects the fundamental priority of divine revelation; he demonstrates the myriad ways in which René Guénon, father of modern esoterism, misread the Christian mysteries by ignoring the testimony of scripture and the early Church Fathers; and he points the way towards a life-giving exploration of the Christian inner life based on the orthodox teaching of deification. This last achievement may be the book’s highlight, as Borella introduces his readers to a number of little-known or forgotten texts of the highest order, including the anonymous The Evangelical Pearl, Benedict of Canfield’s The Rule of Perfection, and Louis Laneau’s On the Deification of the Just—works of profound Christian spirituality.” — PHILIP ZALESKI, Research Associate, Department of Religion, Smith College; co-author of Prayer: A History

“René Guénon was one of the great metaphysical minds of the last few centuries. Jean Borella shows in this landmark study exactly where Guénon’s work remains of perennial value for Christians, but also demonstrates the limitations and personal idiosyncrasies that led him to distort some of the most important elements of Catholic and Orthodox doctrine. This book may well stimulate the recovery of authentic metaphysics within the Church for which Guénon longed, but which he despaired of seeing in his lifetime.” — STRATFORD CALDECOTT, author of The Radiance of Being: Dimensions of Cosmic Christianity

“Exhaustively documented and brilliantly conceived, this monumental treatise refutes a Guénonian thesis regarding the limits of Christianity and reaffirms the Patristic doctrine of theosis as the consummation of the Christian Way.” — WOLFGANG SMITH, author of Christian Gnosis from St. Paul to Meister Eckhart