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FORGET YOURSELF AND YOUR DEEDS FOR GOD: AWARENESS AND TRANSCENDENCE OF SELFIN THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWINGAuthor(s): Glenn YoungReviewed work(s):Source: Mystics Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 1/2 (March/June 2005), pp. 9-22Published by: Penn State University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20716495 .

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FORGET TOURSELF ?NDYOUR DEEDS FOR GOD:AWARENESS ANDTRANSCENDENCE OF SELF INTHE (CLOUD OF UNKNOWING*The fourteenth-century iddle English textThe Cloud ofUnknowing offers itsreader instruction in a contemplative practice which leads to an experience ofmystical unionwith God. This experience ischaracterized as an //unknowing,/nwhich one's awareness moves beyond anything thatcan be thought, imagined,or reflectedupon.What role does awareness of selfplay in such a conception ofmystical practice and experience? The anonymous author of The Cloud providessomething of an answer to this question, when he tellshis reader that "]?ouschalt inpis werk for3etehope ]M-self nd also pi dedes forGod" (TheCloud,82/4-5).2Such a statementsuggests that incontemplation reflectionupon oneselfmust be, like all other thoughts, subjected to an unknowing which is thewaytomystical experience.Inher essay "Foucault's 'Medievalism/ " published inMystics Quarterly,AnneClark Bartlett (1994) addresses the roleplayed by the self inmedieval mysticaltexts, nd asks how theanalyticalmethod employed byMichel Foucault can bebrought tobear upon this issue. Bartlett cites Foucaulfs history of sexuality, inwhich he states thathe is interested in"themodels proposed forsettingup anddeveloping relationshipswith the self, forself-reflection, elf-knowledge, selfexamination, forthedecipherment of the selfby oneself, for the transformationsthat ne seeks toaccomplishwith oneself as object" (Foucault 1985,29; seeBartlett1994,13). Foucaulfs concernhere iswith identifying hat he calls "practices oftheself" (1985,13), bywhich hemeans those exercises inwhich a personmakeshimself a subject of inquiry.Foucault suggests that these can be investigated byreading "textswritten for thepurpose ofofferingrules,opinions, and advice onhow tobehave as one should" (1985, 12). In response toFoucaulfs interest ininvestigating thesepractices of the self,Bartlettwrites that"given thewealth ofdidactic literature ritten intheMiddle Ages, medievalists areuniquely qualifiedtoundertake thissortofproject" (1994,13). In thisessay, then, Iwill attempt to

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do what Bartlett has suggested, toask if nd how amedieval Christianmysticaltext instructs itsreader toengage inpractices which bring about an awarenessof oneself as a subject of inquiry and reflection.To undertake this analysis of The Cloud, Iwill consider three specificpracticeswhich are discussed and recommended in this text?cultivation of humility,confession of sins, andmeditation upon thePassion ofChrist. The discussion oftheseexercises inThe Cloud seems tosuggest a correlation between themysticismof this textand Foucault7 s concept of practices of the self, in thateach of theseexercises calls forthepractitioner toperforma reflectionupon and thusgain someknowledge ofhimself. Yet this assessment may be called intoquestion in twoways. First,we may askwhether theacquisition of self-knowledge adequatelyexplains thesepractices as they redescribed by The Cloud author.Second, each ofthese exercises canbe understood as being atbest only preparatory, in thesensethat, hile theyare essential in the journey towardmystical consciousness, theynevertheless are understood to fallshortof thatexperience. Ifthesepractices doaim at some degree of self-knowledge, then, thisknowledge isnot thefinalgoalof themysticism of The Cloud.The first f thesepractices is the cultivation of thevirtue ofhumility. The Cloudauthor describes humility as "not ellis bot a treweknowyng & felyngof amansself as he is. For sekirlywho-so mi3t verrely see and fele himself as he is,heschuld verrelybe meek" (TheCloud, 40/8-10). The Cloud author goes on toexplainthat thisvirtuehas twodistinctdimensions, which he calls imperfect nd perfecthumility. Imperfecthumility is caused by

pe filj>e, pe wrecchidnes, and pe freelteofman, into ]>ewhichehe is fallenby synne, and pe whiche algates him behoue]? to felein sum partye pe whiles he leui}? inpis liif, e he neuer so holy.(TheCloud, 40/11-14)

The cultivation of this type of humility thus arises froman awareness andevaluation of oneself as a sinful being. Such self-awareness, however, pertainsonly to imperfecthumility. Complementing this is perfect humility,which iscaused by "pe oueraboundaunt loue and pe worJMnes of God inhim-self; inbeholding ofpewhiche alle kynde quakij}, alle Clerkesben foies,and alle seintes& aungelles ben blynde" (TheCloud, 40/15-17).This division ofhumility intoperfect and imperfectexperiences is importantbecause it sonly imperfect umilitywhich arises fromreflectionupon thenatureof the self, a nature which is fundamentally characterized by sin. In contrast,

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perfect humility results not from awareness of oneself, but rather throughattention to thedivine nature. The Cloud author goes so faras to say that themovement fromimperfecttoperfecthumility ismarked by a complete, thoughtemporary, loss of self-knowledge and self-awareness. In the experience ofperfecthumility,he says, "a soule inpis deedly body ...schal haue sodenly andparfitely lostand for3etyn llewetyng and felyngof his beyng, not lokyngafterwhejêr he haue ben holy orwrechid" (TheCloud, 41 / -3, 4-6). In its imperfectform,thevirtue ofhumility does involve awareness of self to theextent thatoneis conscious of one's sinfulness.Humility isbrought toperfection,however, onlywhen knowledge of self is superseded by awareness ofGod.A second practice discussed inThe Cloud is the sacramental confession of sins.Similar to the cultivation of humility, this practice would seem to involve aconsideration of oneself. TheCloud author isbrief but explicitwhen he claimsthatconfession of sins is an essential prerequisite for the contemplative life. Inregard towhen one should begin contemplative prayer,he writes:

ifpou aske me when pei schulen wirche in pis werk, pen Ianswere pee, and I sey pat not er pei haue clensid Jêire concienceof alle Jêire pecial dedis of sinne done bifore, afterpe comounordinaunce ofHoli Chirche. (TheCloud, 63/8-11)The author thus makes clear the necessity of an awareness of one's particularsins and the confession of these in the sacrament ofpenance.Equally important,however, is theway inwhich The Cloud author instructshisreader to conceive ofhimselP as sinful.Participation in the confession of sinspresupposes reflectionupon theparticular acts one has committed. It requiresa detailed scrutinyof oneself and one's past actions.While The Cloud authoracknowledges the importanceof this typeof confession,he also suggests thattheself should be considered not only through an enumeration of one's particularacts, but simply as onewhose basic character is sinful.He writes that,duringthe time of contemplation, sinfulness is tobe conceived onlywith regard towhat one is, rather thanwith concern for the specific acts one has committed.The contemplative is to thinkof sin

wi]D-outyn any specyal beholdyng vnto any kynde of synne,whejêr it e venial or deedly: pryde,wrajê or enuye, couetyse,slewj), glotenie or lechery .What par reche in contemplatiueswhat synne pat itbe, or how mochel a synne pat itbe? For alle

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synnehem {?inkyj>?Imene forpe tymeofpiswerk?iliche greetinhem-self,when pe leestsynnedeparte]?hem fro od, and lettej?hem ofhere goostly pees.And fele synne a lumpe, pou wost neuer what, bot none o^er

J)ing an J>i-self.TheCloud, 78/10-18)In the text's contemplative vision of sin, theemphasis isnot upon a recollectionof one's particular qualities or specific past actions one has performed, but israther directed toward an awareness of oneself as essentially sinful, and asthereforeseparated fromGod.Lest toomuch emphasis be placed upon awareness of the selfas sinful in thesepractices,we may note thatTheCloud author also addresses the subject ofone'svirtues. In a manner similar to the awareness of sinfulness during the time ofcontemplation, the contemplative is to reflectnot upon his individual virtuesbut ratherupon God as the source and end of all goodness. He is instructed tothinkof virtue

wiJ)-outyn any specyal beholdyng ... to any vertewe pat may bewrou3t inmans soule by any grace, not lokyngafterwhej>er it emeeknes or charit?, pacyence or abstynence, hope, ieilp, or sobirnes,chastiteorwilful pouerte.What par reche incontemplatyues? Foralle vertewes pei fyndenand felyninGod; for nhym isalle f>ing.(TheCloud, 791 -2,3-8).

Whether referring oknowledge of one's sins or virtues, The Cloud suggests thatcontemplative experience is characterized by a simple awareness of oneself asbeing eithersinfulorvirtuous, and theway one is therefore elated toGod, ratherthanby an inquiry into one's individual personality.The conception of self-knowledge which The Cloud author expresses inhisdescriptions of the cultivation ofhumility and confession of sins suggests thatwe need to consider how "the self," a termwhich has been used to thispointwith littledefinition,was understood in themedieval context of this text. Incontrasting themedieval idea of selfwith themodern notion of the individual,Caroline Walker Bynum observes that

when we speak of "the individual," we mean not only an innercore, a self;we alsomean a particular self, selfunique and unlikeother selves... the twelfthcenturyregarded thediscovery of homo

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interior,r seipsum [self], s thediscoverywithin oneself ofhumannaturemade in the image of God?an imago ei that is the samefor ll human beings. (1982, 87)Similarly, JohnBenton contrasts the goals ofmedieval and modern exercisesof self-inquiry: "In theMiddle Ages the journey inwardwas a journey towardself forthe sake ofGod; today it is commonly forthe sake of self alone" (1991,285).While Bynum and Benton's comments here specifically reference twelfthcenturyChristian spirituality,theyare also appropriate to thedescription of selfawareness found inTheCloud.4 In this text, ubjectificationof theself is orientedto an awareness of the essential nature that one shares with others, rather thanto a concernwith oneself as a uniquely individual person. Furthermore, thissubjectification is practiced inpursuit of a consciousness of God rather thanoneself. In thecase ofboth thecultivation ofhumility and confession of sins, theacquisition of self-knowledge inThe Cloud is in some tensionwith a reductionand simplificationof theawareness of oneself.A third xercisementioned inTheCloud isdiscursive meditation upon thePassionof Christ. Because The Cloud author names but does not describe this practice(e.g.,TheCloud, 31 / 3-32/3), Iwill consider itthrougha briefexamination of theMeditations on theLifeofChrist.My choice of theMeditations forthisdiscussionisbased on two criteria.First, itprovides a clear example of the typeofpracticewhich The Cloud author mentions. Second, it is a textwhich "enjoyed animmense popularity and influence in the latermiddle ages: literallyhundredsof manuscripts survive of the original Latin text and the various vernaculartranslations" (Sargent 1992, xix). For these reasons, theMeditations provides ausefulmeans with which todiscuss the typeofpractice The Cloud authormostlikelyhas inmind when he refers tomeditation upon thePassion ofChrist asa spiritual exercise, and the implications of this for self-awareness on thepartof thepractitioner.The prologue to theMeditations states thattheuse of this text sameans ofmoraldevelopment fortheperson who reflectsupon and attempts tomodel himselfafter thepattern set forthby theearthly lifeofChrist. Thus the reader is asked:

Where else will you find examples and teachings of charity, f themost exalted kind ofpoverty,ofexceptional humility,ofprofoundwisdom, ofprayer, ofkindness, of obedience, ofpatience, and ofall the other virtues, like those found in the lifeof theMaster ofall virtues? (Meditations,2)5

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As with thediscussion ofvirtues inTheCloud, a listof idealized qualities of thehuman soul isprovided for the reader. There is a difference,however, in theway these two texts approach this subject. The Meditations names the virtuesand theirmanifestation by Jesusas objects of conscious reflection forthepersonreading this text. nTheCloud, thevirtues arementioned almost inpassing, as iftosuggest thatknowledge and even possession of theseparticular qualities palesincomparison with the consciousness of theperson who is inunion with God.TheMeditations utilizes amethod ofvisualization, inwhich thereader imagineshimself as being present during the events ofChrist's lifeas the textdescribesthem.The visualization of theevents of thePassion uses thefigureof thehumanJesus as ameans for themeditator to reflectupon his own state, to comparehimselfwith themodel thatChrist presents, and tomeasure himself against thatmodel. When the text escribes Christ praying repeatedly atGethsemane beforehis arrest, forexample, thereader isasked to "turnyour attention aswell to thefactthat, in contrast toour impatience, theLord Jesusprayed threetimes beforehe received an answer fromthe Father" (Meditations,241).The reader is also encouraged to feel compassion for Jesus during these events,and this idealized response isused as ameans of self-scrutinyfor thepersonperforming thesemeditations. When the textdescribes the scourging of Jesus,the reader is instructed to reflectupon the response evoked within him by thisevent: "Now then,at thispoint regardhim lovingly for longwhile, and ifyoudo not feel compassion forhim here, know thatyour heart is a heart of stone"(Meditations,247).What is significant in these examples is that the text asksthe reader tovisualize the events of thePassion as ameans of reflectinguponthemoral condition of his own soul. Thus the type of discursive meditationrepresented by theMeditations on theLifeofChrist is a practice inwhich scrutinyof the selfplays a central role.The cultivation ofhumility, confession of sins, andmeditation upon thePassionof Christ?practices which involve an awareness of oneself to some degree?areall recommended by The Cloud author as being beneficial and indeed necessary.Yet he also claims that such exercises are at best only preparatory to a moredeveloped experience of thedivine which supersedes all that can be thoughtor reflectedupon. In thisway, The Cloud isultimately oriented toan experiencewhich transcends thesortof self-scrutinycharacteristicofFoucault's concept ofpractices of theself.This isbest understood if e consider the text'sdescriptionof theunion of thesoulwith God. According toTheCloud,mystical union comes

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not inan experience of reflectionupon either the selfor, forthatmatter,God. Itcomes, rather, nan experience devoid of all thought, imagination,and reflection.Because of its lack of cognitive content, theauthor describes thisexperience as"a cloude ofvnknowyng, po\xwost neuerwhat, sauyng pat po\xfelist npiwillea nakid entent vntoGod" (TheCloud, 17/1-2).This description ofmystical experience as a cloud ofunknowing iscomplementedby what the author calls the "cloud of forgetting," which refers to thecontemplative's attempt to effect a cessation of thought, imagination, andreflectionwithin himself. The authorwrites that"pee byhouej), as pis cloude ofvnknowyng isabouen pee, bitwixpee and piGod, ri3tsoput a cloude of for3etyngbine]? pee, bitwix pee and alie pe creturespat euer benmaad" (TheCloud, 24/24). Since he is one of these creatures thathas been made, the contemplative isinstructedto forgoself-reflectivethoughtsduring the timeof contemplation, andisput in the somewhat paradoxical position ofplacing the cloud of forgettingbetween himself and awareness ofhimself.According to thismodel of the two clouds, union with God inunknowing ispossible only if ne forgets ncontemplation any and all thoughts, ncluding thosewhich would involve subjedification of oneself. The Cloud author goes so far stoclaim thatmeditations upon subjects such as one's sinfulness and thePassionofChrist,while essential as preparation formystical experience, themselves fallshortof thatexperience, and in factmust cease if ne is to reach the fulfillmentof contemplative life.As he writes, "itbehouej? a man or awomman, pat haplonge tymeben usid inpeese meditacions, algates leue hem, & put hem andholde hem ferdoun vnder pe cloude of for3etyng,3if euer schal he peerse pecloude ofvnknowyng bitwix him and his God" (TheCloud, 27/20-28/2). Thusthosepractices inwhich theself is thoughtabout or reflectedupon are preciselywhat must be transcended if ne is toexperience mystical union with God.The author of The Cloud discusses theplace of self-awarenessmost extensivelyinhis secondary treatiseThe Book ofPrivy Counselling,which furtherdevelopssome of the themes addressed inThe Cloud. In Privy Counselling, the authormakes a distinction between two typesof self-awareness. The firstof these isanawareness of the particular attributes one possesses. The second is an awarenessof the substance of one's being apart fromthese attributes. The author explainsthat in thework of contemplation only an awareness of one's substance hasvalue. He urges his reader to approach thedivine:

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with-outyn any corious or special beholdyng to eny of alle jêqualitees pat longyn tope beyng of J>i-self r ofGod, whejêrpei be clene orwrechid, gracyous or kyndely, god?i ormanly. Itcharge]?not now inpee bot pat pi blynde beholdyng ofpi nakidbeyng be gladli born up in listinesof loue, tobe knittid& onid ingrace & in spirit tope precious beyng ofGod inhim-self only ashe is,with-outen more. (PrivyCounselling, 139/8-14)

Thus a correspondence is set up between the conception of oneself and theexperience of God which occurs in contemplation. During this time,only thesimple being ofboth theselfand God are present inone's awareness. Reflectionon the characteristics of either has no place in the contemplative experience.

With regard to self-awareness, the author claims that reflectionupon one'sparticular qualities presents nothing somuch as an obstacle tounion with God.As he explains tohis reader,

gost pou bak in fedyngofpiwittes whan pou suffrest em secheinpe diuerse coriousmeditacions ofpe qualitees ofpi beyng; pewhiche meditacions, poi al pei be ful good and fulprofitable,neuerjêles, in comparison ofpis blynde felyng& offringup ofpi beyng, pei ben ful diuerse & scateryng frompe perfecci?n ofonheed, pe whiche f?llig fortobe bitwix God & pi soule. (PrivyCounselling, 139/29-140/6)

Here, thetypesof self-awareness aredistinguished from ach other inquantitativeterms.A multiplicity of thoughts arises fromtheconsideration of one's varioustraits,whereas perception of oneself as simple being apart from these traitsresults ina singularity of awareness. Themultiplicity of thoughtswhich resultsfrom self-reflection san engagement of one's intellectual faculties,which mustinstead be quieted if ne is to enter into contemplative prayer.While The Book ofPrivy Counselling begins by recommending attention to thesubstance rather than theparticular qualities of one's being, the author finallyclaims that the fulfillment f contemplative prayer comes about ina loss of bothof these types of self-awareness. He writes:

Forwite pou wel forcerteynpat, pot al Ibid pee forgete lle fingesbot pe blynde felyngofpi nakid beyng, 3itneuerêles my wille is,& patwas myn entent inpe biginning, pat pou schuldest for3etepe felyngofpe beyng of ]?i-self s forpe felyngof pe beyng ofGod. (PrivyCounselling, 155/27-156/2)

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Thus even the author's insistence upon a simple and singular self-awarenesseventually givesway toan ideal of transcending awareness ofoneself completelyin thework of contemplation. If and when thisoccurs, theonly objectwithinone's consciousness is thebeing ofGod. This is theheight ofmystical experience,an experience which leaves no room for self-reflection or self-awareness of anysort.

To understand the inter-relationship between the various practices andexperiences addressed inTheCloud, it shelpful toconsider thesuccessive stagesof spiritual lifeas theauthor describes them.The author envisions the spirituallife s consistingofboth active and contemplative lives,with each of thesehavinga lower and higher degree. As he explains,?>e lower party of actiue liifstonde}? ingood and honeste bodilywerkes ofmercy & of charit?. I>ehier party ofactiue liif pe lowerparty of contemplatine liif 1 ingoodly goostlymeditacions, andbesy beholding?vnto amans owne wrechidnes wip sorow andcontrici?n, vnto pe Passion ofCrist and of his seruauntes wippite and compassion, and vnto Ipewonderful 3iftes, kyndnes,and werkes ofGod in alle his creatures, bodili and goostly,wip]?ankyngand preising. Bot pe hi3er partye of contemplaci?n (as itmay be had here) honge]? al holy inpis derknes and inpis cloudeofvnknowyng,wip a louyng steryng nd a blinde beholdyng vntope nakid beyng of God him-self only. (TheCloud, 31 / 1-32/8)

In thisdescription, there is amovement fromaction in theworld todiscursivemeditation upon topics with intellectual and emotional content to a nonconceptual awareness of the divine. What we see, itwould seem, is a hierarchicalstructureof stages of thespiritual lifealongwith thepracticeswhich attend thesestages.Themid-point inthisstructureemphasizes self-scrutiny hroughreflectionupon one's sinfulness and thePassion ofChrist, and is thereforemost reflectiveof Foucault's concept ofpractices of theself.The highest stage,however, lessensattention tooneself to thepoint ofhaving all awareness of self subsumed in the

mystical experience of God.This demarcation between awareness and transcendence of self, however, shouldnotbe toodefinitivelydrawn.While the authordoes envision ahierarchybetweenlower and higher stages of spiritual life nd practice,he also points out thatthesestages are never entirelyseparate from ne another. It is thereforesignificantthat

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he names not simply an active and contemplative life, ut also says that thesetwo lives are conjoined, with thehigher part of active life nd the lowerpart ofcontemplative lifebeing identifiedwith one another.As the authorwrites,

peese twoHues ben so couplid to-geders, pat poi al pei ben diuersin som party,3itneiger ofhemmay be had fullywi]>outen somparty ofpe oper; for hi pat partypat ispe hei3er party of actyueliif, at same party ispe lowerparty of contemplatiue liif. o pat aman may not be fully ctiue, bot 3ifhe be inparty contemplatiue;ne 3it fullycontemplatiue (as itmay be here), bot 3ifhe be inpartieactyue. (TheCloud, 31/8-14)

Thus a person never completely leaves one set of spiritual exercises for thoseof a higher stage,because these stages, and theirattendant practices, are linkedwith and inform ach other.As Cheryl Taylor explains,Unresolved transition is a feature also of the C/oud-author'sdiscussions of traditional hierarchies of spiritual life.Theseemphasise, not the static determinism of the levels,but rather thepermeability of theboundaries which separate them, swell as thepossibilities for scent and (less often) fordescent. (2001,144)

Inquiry intotheself,while notbeing part of thehighest contemplative practice towhich The Cloud isultimately directed, nevertheless ispreparatory and integralto thisexperience, and as such does play a role in themysticism of this text.This discussion of self-awareness inThe Cloud would be incompletewithout aconsideration of one otherway inwhich this issue is addressed in the text.Forall his emphasis upon theway inwhich knowledge of the self is simplified andultimately transcended inmystical experience, thereisat leastone sense inwhichThe Cloud author seems very concerned with awareness of oneself and one'sidentity.This occurs inhis discussion of thediscernment of one's vocation tothecontemplative life. n thefirstchapter of TheCloud, the author distinguishesbetween "foure degrees and fourmes ofCristen mens leuyng; and ben ]?eese:Comoun, Special, Singuler, and Parfite" (TheCloud, 13/9-11).He states that theperson forwhom this text iswritten is in the thirdof these stages of life,thesingular, "inpewhiche solitari forme ndmaner of leuyngpou maist lerne to liftup pe f te ofpi loue,and step towardespat stateand degre of leuyngpat isparfite,and pe laste state of alle" (TheCloud, 14/12-15). Referencing thispassage, SarahCoakley claims that inThe Cloud "the 'contemplative' becomes a professional

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solitarywho recedes, introverts, abstracts/ fromnormal practical reasoning forhis own particular purposes in relation toGod" (1992, 98). Indelineating thesevarious typesofChristian lives,TheCloud author shows an interest n identifyinghis reader with a particular type of self, thisbeing the solitary contemplativewho is called to thepracticewhich leads tounion with God.Similarly, in thefinal chapter of TheCloud, theauthor describes theway onemaydetermine if e has a vocation forcontemplative life. o thosewho wish toknowiftheyhave been called to contemplation, he suggests that they

loke 3if it e euermore presing inpeiremynde more costumabelypen is any oper of goostly excersise.And 3ifhem pink pat per isanymaner of {ring at pei do, bodely or goostly, pat is sufficientlydone wip witnes ofpeire concyence, bot 3ifpis priue Util loue putbe inmaner goostly pe cheef of alle peire werk: and 3ifpei pusfele?pen it is a tokenpat pei ben clepid of God topis werk. &sekirlyelles not. (TheCloud, 131/10-17)

Thus, The Cloud quite literally begins and ends with its author defining aparticular typeof self?the contemplative?and providing criteria ithwhich onemay know if e can be identifiedwith this typeof self.Caroline Walker Bynumclaims that in themedieval conception of the self therewas "a great concernwith how groups are formed and differentiated fromeach other,how roles aredefined and evaluated, how behavior is conformed tomodels" (1982, 85). Thisdescription seems appropriate towhat we find inThe Cloud, in that the authoraddresses himself primarily to thosewho belong toa contemplative as opposedtoactive ormixed life. n thissense, TheCloud author is concerned with makingan inquiry into theself, in thathe asks his reader todiscernwhether ornot he iscalled to thecontemplative practice and experience of this text.It isperhaps fittingtoconclude thisessaywith a statement from ichel Foucault,who writes that"throughoutChristianity there sa correlationbetween disclosureof the self... and therenunciation of self" (1988,48). The Cloud isamystical textinwhich the self isdisclosed and reflectedupon. This isespecially apparent intheauthor's references to thepractices of cultivation ofhumility, confession ofsins, andmeditation upon thePassion ofChrist. It isalso revealed in the author'sconcern for is reader's self-identification ith thecontemplative vocation. Withregard to these elements ofTheCloud, Foucault's concept ofpractices of the self,which emphasizes those exercises thatbring about knowledge of and reflectionupon oneself, is indeed applicable tounderstanding this text.

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Ultimately, however, The Cloud describes a practice and experience inwhich allthoughts, including and perhaps especially those of theself,are renounced andtranscended. Even in thoseplaces where he discusses exercises that involve selfscrutiny, articularly the cultivation ofhumility and confessionof sins, theauthorrecommends a simplification rather thanan amplification of self-knowledge tohis reader.Because of this,Foucault's concept ofpractices of theself isnotwhollyadequate to the interpretationof this text.The mysticism found inThe Cloudsuggests theneed for variation of thisconcept,what we might call a "practiceof transcendence of the self,"6 inwhich the function of a spiritual exercise is toforgetrather than toknow oneself. Such a conceptualization would provide amore complete explanation of The Cloud ofUnknowing, for thepractice of thistext is finallyoriented not toawareness but to transcendence of the self,so thatonemay experiencemystical union with God.

Glenn YoungUniversity ofMissouri-Kansas City

NOTES1. An early version of thispaper was given at the28thAnnual Meeting of theMid-America Medieval Association inFebruary 2004.2. Quotations fromThe Cloud ofUnknowing and The Book ofPrivyCounselling(hereafter he Cloud and PrivyCounselling) are fromHodgson 1944,by page

and line number.3. Inusing themasculine pronoun in thisessay, I am following the languagethatThe Cloud authormost oftenuses; however, there are instances (e.g.,TheCloud, 27/20-28/ 2)where theauthor does refertobothmale and female

contemplatives.4. I am extrapolating here fromthe twelfthcentury about which Bynum andBentonwrite to the fourteenth-century ettingof TheCloud. Ido thisbecausetheir omments seem tohold truefor he Cloud and also because of the lackof

secondary literature hich addresses conceptualizations of theselfspecific tothefourteenthcentury.Giles Constable suggests that latermedieval thoughton this subjectwas inessential continuitywith thatof the twelfthcentury(1979,49-50).

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5. Quotations fromtheMeditations on theLifeof hrist (hereafter editations) arefromTaney et al. 2000. Citations to this edition aremade by page number.6. Iam indebted to r. Douglas E. Cowan, University ofMissouri-Kansas City,for is assistance inhelpingme formulatethisconcept, and for is suggestion

of its name.

WORKS CITEDBartlett,A. C. 1994. "Foucaulfs 'Medievalism/" Mystics Quarterly 20:10-18.Benton, J. . 1991. "Consciousness of Self and Perceptions of Individuality." Pp.263-95 inRenaissance and Renewal in theTwelfthCentury, ed. R. L. Bensonand G. Constable, with C. D. Lanham. Medieval Academy Reprints for

Teaching 26. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.Bynum, C. W. 1982. "Did theTwelfth Century Discover the Individual?" Pp.

82-109 inJesusasMother: Studies in theSpiritualityof theHighMiddle Ages.Berkeley: University of California Press.

Coakley, S. 1992. "Visions of the Self in Late Medieval Christianity: SomeCross-Disciplinary Reflections." Pp. 89-103 inPhilosophy,Religion and theSpiritual Life,ed.M. McGhee. Royal Instituteof Philosophy Supplement32. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Constable, G. 1979. "Twelfth-Century piritualityand the ateMiddle Ages." Pp.27-60 inReligious Lifeand Thought (llth-12th centuries).London: Variorum

Reprints (first ublished inMedieval andRenaissance Studies 5,Chapel Hill:University ofNorth Carolina Press 1971).

Foucault,M. 1985.The Use of leasure. Vol. 2 of TheHistory ofSexuality.Trans. R.Hurley. New York: Pantheon Books.

-. 1988. "Technologies of the Self." Pp. 16-49 inTechnologies of theSelf:ASeminarwithMichel Foucault, ed. L. H. Martin, H. Gutman, and P.H. Hutton.Amherst: University ofMassachusetts Press.Hodgson, P., ed. 1944. TheCloud ofUnknowing andThe Book ofPrivyCounselling.

Early English Text SocietyO.S. 218. London: Oxford University Press.Taney, F. X., Sr., A. Miller, OSF, and C. M. Stallings-Taney, ed. and trans. 2000. Johnde Caulibus:Meditations on theLifeofChrist.Asheville, NC: Pegasus Press.

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Sargent,M. G. 1992.Nicholas Love's "TheMirror of theBlessed Life ofJesusChrist":A Critical EditionBased onCambridge UniversityLibraryAdditionalMSS 6578and 6686.New York: Garland.Taylor,C. 2001."The Cloud Texts and Some Aspects ofModern Theory."Mystics

Quarterly 27:143-53.

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