Mystische Erfahrung und mystisches Wissen in den mittelenglischen Cloudtexten

Published in 2005 by Walter de Gruyter, this scholarly monograph by Karl-Heinz Steinmetz serves as a specialized exploration of the anonymous fourteenth-century contemplative text The Cloud of Unknowing and its related Middle English corpus. The work emerges from the academic tradition of analyzing medieval mysticism, positioning these texts not merely as theological artifacts but as psychological and epistemological treatises on the nature of divine experience and the limitations of human intellect.

Steinmetz approaches the material through a rigorous theological lens, focusing on the intersection of apophatic theology and medieval cognitive theory. By grounding the analysis in the linguistic and historical context of Middle English, the author provides a structured examination of how these texts facilitate the transition from discursive knowledge to mystical encounter. The book was produced for an audience of academics and researchers, contributing to the broader field of medieval studies and the history of spirituality.