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Title: Neque nihil
Subtitle: Annihilation in Benet of Canfield's Rule of Perfection
Author(s): PULEO, Peter
Journal: Studies in Spirituality
Volume: 32    Date: 2022-2023   
Pages: 375-398
DOI: 10.2143/SIS.32.0.3292466

Abstract :
This article addresses Benet of Canfield’s teaching on spiritual annihilation, as presented in his Rule of Perfection, by exploring the historical context, ambivalent usage, and controversial reception of his use of the term ‘annihilation’. After evaluating recent scholarly approaches to Canfield’s work, this article uses John Ruusbroec’s mystical theology, one of Canfield’s foundational sources, to present a fuller theological framework for understanding the content and implications of Canfield’s teaching on annihilation. Interpreting Canfield’s spiritual writings within the theological framework provided by John Ruusbroec thus allows this article to offer a more precise evaluation of Canfield’s spirituality and of historical critiques by comparing them with relevant ecclesiastical teachings.

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