At a time when people are yearning for good news, Cynthia Bourgeault’s new book invites us to find our way to the hope that does not disappoint or fail. In our usual way of looking at things, hope is tied to outcome: “I hope I get this job” or “I hope my mother gets well.” The Bible introduces us to a different kind of hope that has its source not in events but in the mercy of God, a lifeblood of compassion connecting our heart to God’s heart and the heart of all creation. In five interwoven meditations, Mystical Hope shows how to recognize this hope in our own lives, where it comes from, how to deepen it through prayer, and how to carry it into the world as a source of strength and renewal. Mystical Hope is one of our series of Cowley Cloister Books: smaller format, gift edition books designed for meditative and devotional reading.

"This is a lovely little book that invites the reader to undertake an inner journey that can be transformative if one gives oneself to its demands. [Mystical Hope] remains a thought-provoking book likely to be of interest to those who practice centering prayer as well as to those who are serious seekers after God. In a time when hope is frequently threatened and is seemingly more necessary than ever, it is good to hear her encouraging words: ‘. . . hope, the hidden spring of mercy deep within us . . . flows out from the center; . . . we discover within ourselves the mysterious plentitude to live into action what ordinary hearts and minds could not possible sustain." - Cistercian Studies Quarterly

"A highly condensed book by an experienced guide to the practice of Centering Prayer as taught by Fr. Thomas Keating. The book will be of enduring interest to mature meditators seriously committed to contemplative prayer." - Schola

"In this illuminating volume on the dynamics of hope, Bourgeault suggests a new way of envisioning this Christian virtue that plays a major role in the Biblical account of God's dealings with humankind. . . . The author challenges the church ‘to become a sign of hope in a broken world,’ to walk the talk of love, compassion, forgiveness, and compassion." - Values and Visions Reviews Service

"This short book is easily read, but putting its teaching into practice is the work of a lifetime and I, for one, will be happy to spend the rest of my life in practicing what Cynthia Bourgeault so gracefully preaches." - Salt, The Monthly Newsletter Of The Anglican Parish Of Salt