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Contemplative

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

April 2019

April 23, 2019

Advice to a Young Christian — about Witchcraft and the Spiritual World

Since I have written about witchcraft and neopaganism — both books and posts on this...

April 22, 2019

“Now is the Time to Wake Up!”

Note from Carl: Today's guest post is by Phileena Heuertz, and is an excerpt from...

April 19, 2019

If Contemplative Prayer is For Resting in God, What Role Does Repentance Play?

Over the past month I have written several posts about Centering Prayer and contemplation, all...

April 14, 2019

The Royal Donkey and the Reign of Humble Peace

A Meditation for Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud,...

April 13, 2019

Joyful Penitence and a Continuous Lent

Alleluia! Lent is almost over! In just a few days to come we will journey...

April 08, 2019

Intention, Attention, and the Practice of Contemplative Prayer

This is the third of a series of blog posts in response to a lengthy...

April 02, 2019

The Poetics of Faith, or, Why Centering Prayer is a Method and Not a Technique

Recently on social I media I offered this observation: My online friend James Ishmael Ford,...

April 01, 2019

Two Contemplative Events in Asheville, NC (April 26 and 27)

Asheville, NC is one of my favorite places in the world. Beautiful mountains, a thriving...

March 2019

March 26, 2019

Is Centering Prayer “Old” or “New”?

Last week on this blog I posted a detailed email I received from a reader...

March 22, 2019

Four Questions about Centering Prayer and Other Forms of Contemplative Practice

I received the following email from a reader. I'm editing it slightly for the purpose...

March 22, 2019

Requiem for a Not-Quite-Friend

On the day before my 58th birthday, a man who was just a few weeks...

March 08, 2019

Six Videos on a Variety of Contemplative Topics

In August 2015 I had the opportunity to record a series of videos in front...

March 08, 2019

Five Ways to Think About Christian Mysticism

Mysticism is a notoriously squirrelly word to try to define. In The Big Book of Christian...

March 04, 2019

“Kindle No Fire” — A Detail Missing From Recent Ways We Talk About Observing the Sabbath

Today's guest post is by Jon M. Sweeney, author of numerous books including The Pope's...

March 02, 2019

When to Let the Sacred Word Fall Away (and When to Keep On Praying It)

A reader of this blog wrote to ask me this question: How does Centering Prayer...

February 2019

February 28, 2019

Answer the Contemplative Call — Here’s a Great Idea for Your Lenten Reading

Update: Sorry, friends, the sale is over. But I hope you'll still consider this book...

February 26, 2019

Unteachable Lessons: Why Wisdom Can’t Be Taught (and Why That’s Okay)

My dear friends, it's time to announce a new book that's coming out this fall....

February 23, 2019

Walter Hilton: A Contemplative Guide Who Will Take You Back to the Basics

Twice this month, the lesser-known English mystic Walter Hilton has shown up on this blog....

February 20, 2019

Nondual Christianity and the Problem of Evil

A reader of one of my previous blog posts sent me this question via Facebook...

February 17, 2019

Great Mystical Book Covers

The other day I wrote a post about a dream I had back in the...

February 14, 2019

How to Find God in Your Dreams

One night in a dream I found myself near the Ballston Metro station in Arlington,...

February 11, 2019

The Easy Way to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours

I believe that anyone who is serious about embracing the Christian contemplative path needs some form...

February 08, 2019

Inter-Religious Spirituality and the Contemplative Renaissance: How Our Friends From Other Faiths Helped Christians Rediscover Our Spiritual Heart

Christianity has a long history of contemplative practice. But many scholars and spiritual teachers within...

February 05, 2019

Contemplation, Atheism, and Amputees

N.B. I wrote the first draft of this post about a year ago, at a...

February 02, 2019

On the Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas) — Let’s Practice “Presenting” Christ to One Another

Today is the feast of the presentation. It’s also traditionally known as Candlemas; it was...

January 2019

January 31, 2019

Religious Violence, Hate Crimes, and Contemplation

About ten miles or so from Thomas Merton Square in Louisville, KY — the street...

January 30, 2019

A Contemplative Perspective on Tithing (At Church… and Beyond)

A friend on Facebook named Stephanie posed this question to me: Hello Carl, I am...

January 26, 2019

Navigating through the Bible’s Shadow

One of this blog's patrons named Aaron asked, in response to my post Nonduality...

January 21, 2019

Seven Contemplative New Year’s Resolutions (That Are Worth Adopting Any Time of the Year)

I know, I know — a blog post about new years' resolutions several weeks after...

January 17, 2019

Understanding How Contemplation and Mysticism are Different (and Similar)

Sometimes people will ask me if "contemplation" and "mysticism" are synonyms. I admit: I often...