author
Jan van Ruusbroec
1293–1381
A major medieval mystic from the Low Countries, he wrote about the soul’s inner life in a way that is vivid, practical, and surprisingly warm. His works helped shape later Christian spirituality and kept readers returning to him for centuries.
1 Audiobook
Rusbrock l'Admirable (œuvres choisies)
by Jan van Ruusbroec
About the author
Born near Brussels in 1293 or 1294, Jan van Ruusbroec became a priest and served for many years at the church of Saint Gudula in Brussels. Later he withdrew to Groenendaal, in the Sonian Forest, where he lived in an Augustinian community and wrote most of the works for which he is remembered.
Ruusbroec is widely regarded as one of the great medieval mystics of the Low Countries. His writings explore prayer, contemplation, and union with God, but they are also grounded in ordinary spiritual discipline and active love. Among his best-known works is The Spiritual Espousals, a book that had lasting influence on later religious writers.
He died on December 2, 1381. Sometimes called John of Ruusbroec or modernized as Ruysbroeck, he remains an important figure in the history of Christian mysticism.