In Leonard P. Hindsley’s translation of The Sister-Book of Engelthal by Christina Ebner, the Dominican nuns of Engelthal were lost in profound prayer while chanting the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I have loved you with an eternal love, therefore I have drawn you to me with my mercy.” Then they fell down unconscious and entered into the mystical realm.
This event marked the beginning of their spiritual journey as a community and as individuals. The founding of the monastery and the tales of sisters, brothers, and priests were set down by the nun, Christina Ebner, so that others could learn of the wondrous action of God’s grace in the lives of ordinary people in the fourteenth century. This book presents the first text from the Sister-Book genre to be rendered into English.