Blessed John van Ruysbroeck | |
|---|---|
 The blessed John van Ruysbroeck | |
| Doctor Divinus Ecstaticus | |
| Born | c. 1293–4 Ruisbroek, Duchy of Brabant, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 2 December 1381 (aged 87–88) Groenendael, Duchy of Brabant, Holy Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 9 December 1908 by Pope Pius X |
| Feast | 2 December |
| Attributes | canonical habit |
John of Ruusbroec | |
|---|---|
 John of Ruysbroek by Antony van der Does | |
| Born | Jan van Ruysbroeck |
| Notable work | The Sparkling Stone The Spiritual Espousals |
| Era | medieval philosophy mysticism |
| Region | Western philosophy Rheno-Flemish spirituality |
Main interests | Theology, ascetic theology, mystical theology |
Notable ideas | Passion of Christ, ascetism, detachment, humility, charity, Christian universalism |
John of Ruusbroec or Jan van Ruusbroec (pronounced [ˈjɑɱ vɑn ˈryzbruk]; 1293/1294 – 2 December 1381), sometimes modernized Ruysbroeck, was an Augustinian canon and one of the most important of the medieval mystics of the Low Countries. Some of his main literary works include The Kingdom of the Divine Lovers, The Twelve Beguines, The Spiritual Espousals, A Mirror of Eternal Blessedness, The Little Book of Enlightenment, and The Sparkling Stone. Some of his letters also survive, as well as several short sayings (recorded by some of his disciples, such as Jan van Leeuwen). He wrote in the Dutch vernacular, the language of the common people of the Low Countries, rather than in Latin, the language of the Catholic Church liturgy and official texts, in order to reach a wider audience.