Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern: A Once and Future Meeting of Rumi, Meister Eckhart, and Moses de León in Medieval Venice

by James C. Harrington, Sidney G. Hall III

In Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern, Jalal ad-Din Rumi, Moses de León, and Meister Eckhart--three of the greatest mystics of all time--meet in Venice for an imaginary night-long conversation that will inspire everyday individuals of the twenty-first century to find their own spirituality and realize that everyone can be a mystic. Although the mystics came from different backgrounds and religious traditions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), their spiritual paths led them to similar understandings of union with the Divine. The three mystics have a timeless and timely message for people who walk the earth eight centuries after they did, no matter an individual's religious background or even if they have none. It is a message of connecting with the "divine spark" deep within us and within the universe.

166 pages, Paperback

First published February 11, 2015

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

THREE MYSTICS WALK INTO A TAVERN expands on the lives and thinking of three mystics, Rumi, Meister Eckhart, and Moses De León, each from their unique perspective of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. To get us there, the authors spend some time defining mysticism, establishing the historical context in which the three mystics lived, and summarizing the life and work of each. With this foundation, we join the three in a 14th century Venetian tavern over a pot of tea, as they discuss the role of religion, the nature of mysticism and justice, the inclusion of women and the feminine in mysticism, and the evolution of mysticism into the 21st century. And to liven up the dialogue, mystics and thinkers from their past and into our present, men and women, join in the conversation.

If you’re unfamiliar with the mysticism of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, this book provides an excellent and concise introduction to the work of these three mystics, as well as placing them within their historical and religious context.

If you’re familiar with mysticism, the book engages you in the dialogue between the traditions. I especially found the synergy between the three mystics as they riffed off of each other’s ideas to be very compelling in a time when religious institutions and some of their leaders and followers focus on what separates us.

Not so much a criticism of this book, but a suggestion for the next, I’d encourage the authors to consider engaging their mystics with someone standing outside of religious belief — a 21st century secular perspective which speaks of the unknown and unknowable outside of the language and perspective of theology and religion. However, that would be a very different book with a different purpose. THREE MYSTICS is not a critique of mysticism, but a positive exploration of three Abrahamic mystic traditions, their differences and their similarities.

Many will read the title, THREE MYSTICS WALK INTO A TAVERN, and pick up the book, if for no other reason than to hear the punchline. And while this book is no joke, the punchline is this:

In our world, three individuals from these three religious perspectives may not survive an encounter in a tavern. While the chance meeting in this tavern is fictional, it holds the promise of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism coming together with a joyful embrace, celebrating their similarities and respecting their differences.

[Peggy Stoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explains the similarities and differences in the mystical core at the center of the three Abrahamic religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The authors share an overview of the times, the life stories of Rumi, Moses DeLeon, and Meister Eckhart. Then they explore various topics and that the three hold in common. It's presented as a conversation among these three men and other mystics from other times who "drop in" to talk about whatever theme has arisen. I didn't appreciate the book as much, until I taught it as a class and assigned roles to class members. I think we all learned a lot.

[Serena Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

While researching Moses de Leon, I came across the "Three Mystics Walk Into A Tavern," which I highly recommend. The authors do a wonderful job high lightening the deeper understanding of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by incorporating the voices of Moses de Leon, Meister Eckhart, and Rumi. To quote the authors, "A mystic seeks and finds the hidden, or as some would state more aptly, the hidden finds the mystic, who is in search of the hidden."

What is the hidden? - As the leading scholar of the Kabbalah Daniel Matt would state on page 132, "The spiritual seeker soon discovers that he or she is not exploring something "up there" (another word the soul) but rather the beyond lies within, Letting go of the traditional notion of God and self can be both liberating and terrifying."

And when we awake to the notion that the beyond lies within and let go of our traditional understanding of God, we strive to make the Unio Mystica. On page 131, "The shepherd thanks and blesses Moses for scolding him and "applying the whip" to his horse so that "it jumped out of itself" and the divine nature and my human nature came together." - The Mystical union.

On page 145, the authors state, "Mystical union is distinctive and specific to one's own tradition and experience. Yet, while each experience is unique, it is also inherently universal."

Gaining insight into the profound mysteries shared by various religions requires extensive study and is not something that can be grasped in just a handful of sentences.

Do you have the tenacity to go into the mystery of your own being, both on a psychological and spiritual level?

[STEVE M DE ROSA]

Not the most readable book, but it has some interesting ideas. Believers have more in common at their heart.