Quietism, Dynamic Passivity, and the Void

A study of Quietism and its central of spiritual peace, power and passivity, drawing on a new translation of the Spiritual Guide of Miguel de Molinos.The secret to inner harmony can be uncovered in Quietism, Dynamic Passivity, and the Void, yet what is the essential difference between these three concepts? Within a highly original and wide-ranging discussion of the concept of Quietism and its divergents, Trevor Boiling investigates a profoundly metaphysical concept, whose precise definition has eluded many scholars.Implied in any study of Quietism are the problematic notions of spiritual peace, power and passivity, which are subsumed by the author under his own concept of ‘dynamic passivity’, the central concern of the study. Boiling does this by asserting the essentially dynamic passivity of Quietism’s central text, the Spiritual Guide by the ‘Father of Quietism’, Miguel de Molinos (presented here in a new translation by the author). Molinos is claimed to be heir to the vibrant mystical tradition of St. John of the Cross and St Teresa of Avila. Additionally, the author presents a penetrating analysis of Molinos’ concept of the Void (nada), which is very much the same as it is for the Taoists and Buddhists.This impressively detailed study makes an ideal companion to the translated, complete volume of The Spiritual Guide by Miguel de Molinos, published in 2006 by our sister imprint The Lutterworth Press.