This book examines Medieval mystics, their contributions to spiritual thought, the Catholic Church's negative reaction, and the influence of Eastern religions on their thought processes. It is divided into several chapters that work together to provide an overview of this period. The author addresses topics such as the suppression of the Gnostic gospels, the Church's persecutions of Islam through the various Inquisitions, and problems in biblical translations that seek to underscore Orthodox belief rather than present a valid translation. Giampaolo includes brief sketches of twenty-eight mystics from Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions. Also included is an extensive resource list for further investigation.

Giampaolo begins with a definition: "Mysticism – the direct experience (theosis) or knowledge of God (The One or The Source) transcends faith and reason." He states his position that "Western institutional religions, especially Catholicism, have simplified and anthropomorphized God to maintain social power and authority." In other words, the Church's position as "intermediaries in the spiritual experience" is in direct opposition to the Mystics' belief in personal and direct contact with the divine. Using quotes from Medieval mystics to illustrate each of his points, he lays out a valid argument to support his assertions. Whether or not one is familiar with these writings, his conversational style makes even hard-to-grasp concepts easy to understand. Each argument is backed by research, and the author fully explains his position on each topic. Concepts such as the Mystics' belief in non-duality and its direct conflict with Catholic doctrine are especially intriguing. Whatever one's personal beliefs may be, this is an eye-opening, thought-provoking examination of the early Church's suppression of Christian mystics to establish itself as the sole authority on Christ's teachings.

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