This accessible and engaging history provides an excellent primer on the two-millennium quest for union with God, a "thirst" at the center of Christian life and practice. This new edition not only updates all the chapters and features but also adds more material on the spirituality of Jesus, medieval women mystics, and contemporary spirituality. Short excerpts from primary sources, a glossary, a time line, maps, a bibliography, and a set of spiritual excercises heighten the book's usefulness for students and lay persons alike. - Back cover.