Students of Christian spirituality often have an ambivalent attitude to primary sources from the past. On the one hand they are intrigued by the mysterious otherness of their and the promise that this very otherness my take them into exciting uncharted territory. On the other hand, they lack the confidence to navigate this territory, so that what begins as strangely intriguing can quickly become just too weird.

The SCM Reader in Christian Spirituality not only offers a collection of readings from the classic texts of Christian spirituality but also gives the reader a way into these texts that enables them to be received as living and relevant for both personal spirituality and ministry.

An introductory section guides the student through the process and offers techniques for approaching these often ancient texts. The Reader then presents readings from the patristic to the end of the early modern period, encompassing both the Eastern and Western church traditions, grouped around key themes, and including extensive notes and contextual material.