Scholars of the patristic era have paid more attention to the dogmatic tradition in their period than to the development of Christian mystical theology. Andrew Louth aims to redress the balance. Recognizing that the intellectual form of this tradition was decisively influenced by Platonic ideas of the soul's relationship to God, Louth begins with an examination of Plato and Platonism. The discussion of the Fathers which follows shows how the mystical tradition is at the heart of their thought and how the dogmatic tradition both molds and is the reflection of mystical insights and concerns. This new edition of a classic study of the diverse influences upon Christian spirituality includes a new Epilogue which brings the text completely up to date.

教父时代的学者们对他们那个时期的教条主义传统比对基督教神秘主义神学的发展更加关注。安德鲁-劳斯旨在纠正这种平衡。认识到这一传统的思想形式受到柏拉图式的灵魂与上帝关系思想的决定性影响，劳斯首先对柏拉图和柏拉图主义进行了考察。接下来对教父们的讨论表明，神秘主义传统如何成为他们思想的核心，以及教条主义传统如何既塑造了神秘主义的见解和关注，又是其反映。这本关于基督教灵性的各种影响的经典研究的新版本包括一个新的后记，使文本完全更新。