Evelyn Underhill (Mrs. Hubert Stuart Moore) was born in 1850 and grew up in London. Her friends included Laurence Housman (poet and brother of the poet A E Housman) and Sarah Bernhardt (actress), and Baron Friedrich von Huegel, a writer on theology and mysticism. Largely under his guidance, she embarked on a life of reading, writing, meditation, and prayer. From her studies and experience she produced a series of books on contemplative prayer. The list includes the following ([those that are] starred the ones that seem to be most widely read or highly regarded):
- 1902 The Bar-lamb’s Ballad (poetry)
- 1911 Mysticism **
- 1913 The Mystic Way *
- 1913 Immanence (poetry)
- 1927 Man and the Supernatural
- 1936 Worship ***
- 1938 The Mystery of Sacrifice
Miss Underhill taught that the life of contemplative prayer is not just for monks and nuns, but can be the life of any Christian who is willing to undertake it. She also taught that modern psychological theory, far from being a threat to contemplation, can fruitfully be used to enhance it. In her later years, she spent a great deal of time as a lecturer and retreat director. She died on June 15, 1941.
(By James Kiefer)