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This book is not like many of it's time period. The reason for this is, and this may contribute to its "mystical element", that, firstly, no one truly knows who actually composed the writing. While most scholars agree that the book was written around the 14th century, there is no direct proof of whom actually wrote it. Was this book written by a Saint? Many scholars state that if not a known Saint, the writing most assuredly was written by a highly gifted and spiritually in-tune Catholic priest or monk.
Now, the writing itself, the text, is not truly an ordered treatise of principles. Rather, the "Cloud-Author", as the writer is referred to, is repetitive and uses this technique of repetition to really drive home the point he is attempting to make, in writing the book. What is this point? The overall message set forth within this masterpiece is that mankind, as he exists, has no ability to intellectually know God and that there is a division or barrier, hence the title, between Man and God, which does not allow mankind's faculties (reason, logic, etc) to reach God. The Cloud-Author states that if man wishes to pursue an understanding of God and to seek God out, one must undertake this mission by using contemplation. This contemplation, however, is not of an intellectual nature, as stated previously, but rather of an emotional one. What is meant by, "emotional contemplation"? What the Cloud-Author states is, "He can certainly be loved, but not thought. He can be taken and held by love but not by thought."(Ch. 6, pg. 130). The, "He", in this case, is meant as God.
The reason for why this book is truly a masterpiece is because of the logic set forth within it, the logic, which might not be understood, but which is, upon examination, sound and true. God is known, to Christians, to be omnipotent. Now, what this means in one sense is that He is "all-powerful". However, this meaning can be slightly different if we dive deeper into the context in which we speak about God. If God has power over all things, everything is subject to him, then everything, existing, must be in some way directly related to him. In addition to this former statement, if God is actually omnipotent, then he must have created all things because only he who creates a thing can truly have dominion over said thing, unless power is bestowed upon him by the original creator, however, Christians believe that God is in fact the creator of all things. Now, anything created by a being automatically inhibits, or has within it, attributes or parts of the creator's essence. This is best seen when we observe art work. Within the art work we can see attributes unique to the individual who created it. This being the case, we can once again logically ascertain the fact that God is, with regards to his essence, inside of, exists within, and in fact is, all things created. Since God is, in at least part, all things created, because all things were created by him, he is therefore unknowable; A singular man cannot possible know all the different things which exist throughout creation. We see here then that we are brought back full circle and arrive at the fact that there is a, "Cloud of Unknowing".
With all of this being said however, we find one single fact which gives rise to our ability to understand God and know him. This fact is that, within humanity, exists one piece of God's direct essence. This piece of God's essence is what we, as well as what the Cloud-Author, know as love. Here is a quote which acts as a synopsis of everything I previously stated:
“And our soul by virtue of this reforming grace is made sufficient to the full, to comprehend all Him, by love, the which is incomprehensible to all created knowledgeable powers, as is angel, or man's soul; I mean, by their knowing, and not by their loving. And therefore I call them in this case knowledgeable powers. But yet all reasonable creatures, angel and man, have in them each one, by himself, one principal working power, the which is called a knowledgeable power, and another principal working power, the which is called a loving power. Of the which two powers, to the first, the which is a knowledgeable power, God that is the maker of them is evermore incomprehensible; and to the second, the which is the loving power, in each one diversely He is all comprehensible to the full. Insomuch that a loving soul alone in itself, by virtue of love should comprehend in itself Him that is sufficient [p. 77] to the full--and much more, without comparison--to fill all the souls and angels that ever may be. And this is the endless marvellous miracle of love; the working of which shall never take end, for ever shall He do it, and never shall He cease for to do it. See who by grace, see may, for the feeling of this is endless bliss, and the contrary is endless pain.”
("The Cloud of Unknowing quotes", GoodReads.com, The Cloud of Unknowing, Translated by James")
The Cloud-Author understands the influences of the outside world, and it is for this reason that he harps on his main thesis: that he who wishes to know God must take the time out of their lives to contemplate pure love, to fill themselves with its power, to, "Beat with a sharp dart of longing love upon this cloud of unknowing which is between you and your God."(Ch. 12, pg. 145). He, in addition to understanding, acknowledges that not everyone will be willing to pursue God, especially through the channels which he states. As Christ said, "Many are called, but few are chosen"(Matthew 22:14). Many people will not look to seek God what so ever. Many people will simply go about their lives as if there is no supreme or supernatural power. God wishes for this ability to choose him, or to not. God being omnipotent, has the power to make humanities free will nonexistent by which all of mankind would automatically follow his will. However, God wishes that man, as an individual, would seek out the treasure within himself, the power of love, and not only admire it but contemplate on it and harness it so that man can reach the heights which, as of now, are only inhabited by God, whom we know to be Christ. To be as God, to be Gods in our own right, to be one with the supreme, one with his pureness and wholeness, is our purpose, the "why" behind our existence.
In all, we can see that this mystical writing, composed by an unknown, "Cloud-Author, in the 14th century, containing 75 chapters, focuses and uses these chapters to ,not only weed out those who take not the mission of knowing God seriously, but, to also give anyone willing to use their endowed gift, which we call love, in order to find God, a path by which they may do so. While intellect can allow mankind to reach marvelous heights and can further his physical development, it must, in order to reach God, to understand the entirety of existence, be coupled with the piece of God's essence present within the existence of everyman: love. We use our intellect to understand that there must definitely be a supernatural existence or being, we then must use our will to focus our hearts on the emotion of love so as to break the physical chains which ground us and prove to God our desire for him is true.
This book can be read physically or, if the person interested in it wishes, can be listened to via audiobook.
Online Copy: https://www.catholicspiritualdirection.org/cloudunknowing.pdf
Online AudioBook via Librivox: https://librivox.org/the-cloud-of-unknowing-by-anonymous/
Bibliography:
1."The Cloud of Unknowing", Anonymous, CatholicSpiritualDirection.org,
2."The Cloud of Unknowing", WikiQuotes, @ https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Cloud_of_Unknowing
3."The Cloud of Unknowing Cover picture", Jpg, Amazon.com,
@ https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZfM8zHcRL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
4."The Cloud of Unknowing", goodreads.com
@ https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/234352-the-cloud-of-unknowing
5."Gospel of St. Matthew 22:14", Douay-Rheims Latin Vulgate Bible.
I could not figure out why much of my writing was colored white.
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