A Mediaeval Mystic A Short Account of the Life and Writings of Blessed John Ruysbroeck, Canon Regular of Groenendael A.D. 1293-1381

This compact volume offers a clear, engaging portrait of Blessed John Ruysbroeck, the fourteenth‑century Flemish mystic whose teachings once rivaled those of Thomas à Kempis. Drawing on the diligent scholarship of early nineteenth‑century biographers and recent Belgian research, the author presents Ruysbroeck’s life and thought in plain English, making a once‑obscure figure accessible to modern readers. The narrative stays within the first act of his story, focusing on his formative years, early religious influences, and the beginnings of his contemplative quest.

Readers will follow a young John who, at just eleven, fled his mother’s tender care to seek a higher path in bustling Brussels, driven by an inner restlessness that foreshadowed his later spiritual depth. The book outlines his gradual immersion in the monastic world of Groenendael, where his mystic insights began to take shape and where his early writings first emerged. By the end of this introductory portion, listeners gain a vivid sense of the man’s humble origins and the seeds of the profound theological legacy he would later leave behind.