As Studied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and her Friends With an introduction by Michael Downey Philosopher of religion, lay theologian, and biblical exegete, Baron Friedrich von Huegel was a remarkable man who set out to write a biography of Saint Catherine of Genoa and ended up writing an extensive and brilliant treatise on the "philosophy of mysticism." Using St. Catherine and her friends as illustrative examples, in this book he develops his well-known analysis of the three basics elements of religion: 1) the institutional, 2) the intellectual and 3) the mystical. While he saw the mystical element as the summit of religion, von Huegel insisted that all three are necessarily present at the same time, and that the key to the highest spiritual life is the attainment of the proper balance among the three. This volume is part of the prestigious series Milestones in Catholic Mysticism and Spirituality. Herder & Herder is bringing back into print a number of seminal works that have had a lasting influence on the study of mysticism and spirituality, in order to make them available once more for both scholars and students.