Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Contemplative
How to Find a Mystical Teacher

How to Find a Mystical Teacher

Last updated on: November 7, 2017 at 11:52 am by Carl "Skye" McColman

How to Find a Mystical Teacher 2017-11-07T11:52:54-04:00 Carl "Skye" McColman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A reader sent me this message the other day:

I am loving your book, Christian Mystics, as I read it. I, myself, am tending to that life, and I have tried to find another, experienced Christian mystic from whom I can receive guidance. But, so far, I’ve only found two, a monk and a nun. I tried to contact the monk, but it turns out he is totally withdrawn to a life of prayer and meditation and doesn’t give guidance such as I am seeking. In the case of the nun, it turns out her mysticism is not the type to which I am drawn. So, I am wondering if you could tell me of any living Christian mystics whom I might go to for guidance.

Dear reader, thank you for your note, and I think you are not alone in terms of people who desire meaningful and quality spiritual direction and guidance from a true living master. Yes, I do know of some living Christian mystics. But before I give you a link where you are likely to find the guide you want, I’d like to explore the meaning of your search just a little.

church

You mentioned in your letter that one of the persons you approached practices a mysticism that is not the type to which you are drawn. I think this is where we need to start.

Mysticism — Christian or otherwise — comes in many flavors. Some mystics are very withdrawn and profoundly silent, almost zen-like in their practice. Others are much more engaged in the world (even if they are monks or nuns). Some are “head” mystics, with a strong bent toward philosophy, theology, and academic scholarship; while others are more “heart” mystics with an emphasis on devotion, worship, and simple adoration.

There is no one right way to be a mystic. I’m fond of quoting William McNamara, who said “the mystic is not a special kind of person, each person is a special kind of mystic.”

But here’s something I think all of us need to remember: sometimes the best spiritual teacher for us just might be someone whose “spiritual style” is different from our own.

In other words, let’s say I’m comfortable with a very interior-focused, highly contemplative spirituality. If I seek a guide who is just like me, chances are that guide and I will just be reinforcing each other — in both good and bad ways. That might seem pleasant, but does it really help me to grow? Whereas if I choose to work with someone who has more of an emphasis on service and finding God in the world, it will certainly challenge me — but hopefully in a way that helps me to more fully respond to God’s call in my life.

Now, let’s take another step back.

Putting the “Christian” in Christian Mysticism

Whenever someone asks me to help them learn Christian mysticism, I always like to start with the “Christian” part.

You didn’t give me a lot of information about your relationship with Christ — or with the Church — but I would suggest anyone who is serious about Christian mysticism needs to begin with faith, and with community.

A lot of people struggle with this. “I want to embrace the mystical life, but I can’t stand going to church where no one is interested in mysticism!” I hear this (or some variation of it) a lot. And in fact, I’ve said things very similar to this myself, at points in my life.

But ironically, the mystics themselves again and again insist that one of the foundations of a truly mystical life is doing the very unglamorous work of being part of a faith community — even if it’s not a perfect fit.

It’s unfortunate that many people find that their local church does not support them in their quest for deep spiritual transformation. Many people abandon Christianity altogether, choosing instead to become Buddhist, or spiritual-but-not-religious, or to study a secular practice like mindfulness meditation.

But I’m assuming since you are specifically looking for a Christian mystical guide, and have approached monastic teachers already, that you are serious about pursuing mysticism in a Christian context. Good for you!

Believe it or not, I think the most important first step is to immerse yourself as deeply as you can into learning the Christian faith inside and out. Get to know the Bible and the sacraments. Learn Christian social teaching. Volunteer in some way or form in your local church.

Think of it this way. If you want to learn how to play the piano, you’ve got to practice your scales. That’s boring, but it’s the essential foundation. For Christian mysticism, the essential foundation is learning the heart of contemplative Christianity. Which means the Bible, the sacraments, and Church. At first it doesn’t matter if your teachers are “mystics” or not. You’re just learning your scales for now. It’s the essential first step.

Contemplative Christianity means something different from the mainstream Christianity that we see on the internet every day. This isn’t about megachurches or TV preachers or winning souls for Jesus. Rather, it’s about daily prayer, and practicing mercy and forgiveness, and learning to recognize that God loves everyone, no exceptions. And then striving to be just that loving and merciful yourself.

Maybe you are already doing all these things. If so, great! If not, I hope you’ll pray about it. Listen to how God is whispering in your heart.

A Few Books and a Link for Further Exploration

Reading a few books is always helpful. You mentioned my most recent book, but I think you might like The Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Answering the Contemplative Call as well. Two others I would strongly recommend are Martin Laird’s Into the Silent Land and Elias Marechal’s Tears of an Innocent God.

Finally, here’s the link I promised you. I would encourage you to visit the website of Spiritual Directors International, which includes a directory of spiritual guides. Not all of them are well-versed in mystical theology, but some are. You might find that someone with a strong knowledge of mysticism is located in your very own community.

Thanks for your question. I hope this information is helpful and please let me know if you have any further questions.

Note: here’s a follow up to this post: How to Find a Mystical Teacher, part two

Enjoy reading this blog?
Click here to become a patron.

Stay in touch! Connect with Carl McColman on Facebook:

Carl McColman

Christian mysticism

spiritual guidance

Previous Post

October 31, 2017

Wisdom from the Christian Mystics

Next Post

November 7, 2017 How to Find a Mystical Teacher, Part Two

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Activism Announcements Art Books Catholicism Celtic Christianity Christian mysticism Christianity Contemplation Current events Etc. Family humor interfaith dialogue Interfaith Wisdom Interspirituality Lay Cistercians Living the Faith Meditation movies Mysticism Mystics nature Poetry Reviews Scripture silence Spirituality Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 August 2023 June 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 July 2013 May 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 March 2012 December 2011 September 2011 October 2010 August 2010 March 2010 September 2009 July 2008 January 2008 December 2007 September 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who provided bread and Goliath's sword to David at Nob?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Abner Abiathar Ahimelech the priest Jonathan

Support this
Column