Letters of Madame Guyon: Being Selections of Her Religious Thoughts and Experiences, Translated and Re-Arranged From Her Private Correspondence; ... With Fénelon, Abridged

by Phebe Lord Upham

Madam Guyon's correspondence was very extensive, occupying five printed volumes. Her style of writing is somewhat diffuse. In giving religious advice to many persons, there would necessarily be frequent repetitions. It has, therefore, occurred to the writer, that a selection and re-arrangement of thoughts, such as is found in this little volume, would be more acceptable and useful, than a literal and full translation of her letters. This selection necessarily involved much re-writing and condensing. Great care, however, has been taken to reach her true sentiments, and to give a just relation of her religious experience.

220 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1767

About the author

Also known as: Mrs. T. C. Upham or P. L. Upham

Thomas Cogswell Upham married Phebe Lord on May 18, 1825.

She was actively engaged in the spiritual and intellectual community of which her husband was a member, and she is credited with influencing and supporting her husband's theological ideologies. She often spoke to public assemblies. She was a prolific writer; in addition to the Narrative of Phebe Ann Jacobs, Upham published poetry as well as collections of spiritual writings and was a frequent contributor to the Guide to Holiness, a publication of the nineteenth-century Methodist Holiness Movement. Her best known work was a spiritual autobiography titled The Crystal Fountain, published in 1887. She was known for her religious piety as well as her social activism.

Reviews

[Sincerae Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The older title of this book was Jeanne Guyon Speaks Again. This is the name of the version I read, and this is my second time reading this book.

I would describe this book as a simplified version of St. John of the Cross' The Dark Night of the Soul because Madame Guyon is talking about some of the same processes one must go through to experience a personal relationship with God. St. John builds his advice around a poem. This book is 99% epistolary. Both refer to God/Jesus Christ as the Beloved on a few occasions. I was surprised at this use of Sufi Muslim type language coming from them both because Sufi poets often refer to Allah as the Beloved. But I think the Sufis borrowed from the Christians because even some early Syriac Christian theologians and poets used the same term of endearment in referring to God.

Madame Guyon feels a relationship with God and withdrawal from worldly things is a slow and painful process. But is also beautiful and the most rewarding experience of a lifetime. We cannot force our way on God. We cannot make ourselves perfectly good through our own strength. We have to let go and let God take over. She also felt that we can not reach a level of spiritual purification through religious institutions and rituals. These views landed her in prison for a number of years. They are also why despite being a Catholic writer many Protestants have loved her writings over the years.

Most of this book is made up of spiritual letters Madame Guyon wrote to an unknown friend. The last section of the book are letters exchanged between her and her dear friend Francois Fenelon who was a Catholic archbishop, theologian, writer, and poet. The final pages is an essay called Thoughts on the Internal Way.

Madame Guyon remains one of my favorite spiritual writers. She talks about the mystical and the profound in simple and beautiful language that anyone, if they allow themselves, can open their hearts to.

[uosɯɐS · Rating 3 out of 5]

I began this little book years ago as part of a common online book reading exercise led by one of may favorite Christian singers. It is not long, but for some reason I just never got around to finishing it.

I think it is interesting to see how people interpret religion in different times and places.