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December 2016

December 06, 2016

Why I Still Recommend Verbum Software for Catholics… and for all Contemplatives

Two years ago this week, I wrote a glowing review of a Bible Software program...

December 01, 2016

“You Wrote Books About Paganism?!?”

The late Kenneth Leech used to tell the story about giving a lecture at a...

July 2016

July 22, 2016

St. Benedict and the Prosperity Gospel

This past Tuesday night my wife and I went with some 19,000 other folks to hear...

June 2016

June 16, 2016

St. Athanasius on the Nature of Angels

The Life of St Antony of the Desert, written by the fourth century Bishop of...

February 2016

February 29, 2016

John Cassian: The Leap Year Contemplative

February 29 is the feast day of St. John Cassian — who, in addition to...

January 2016

January 22, 2016

Preliminary Practices for Christian Contemplatives

Tibetan Buddhists have a series of spiritual exercises that are seen as foundational to their spiritual...

January 01, 2016

Pentecost and Ecstasy

A reader of my blog named Paul emailed me the following question: I realize this...

November 2015

November 28, 2015

Sanctity and Struggle, or, Why Saints Have Chaotic Inner Lives (Hint: It’s Because We All Do)

An editor at Patheos recently pointed me to the following trailer, and suggested I blog...

September 2015

September 13, 2015

In Memoriam: Kenneth Leech

I have learned of the passing of Father Kenneth Leech, who died on Saturday after...

July 2015

July 22, 2015

Mysticism and the Divine Feminine: An Interview with Mirabai Starr

One of my favorite contemporary authors is Mirabai Starr, who I first encountered through her...

June 2015

June 12, 2015

What Has Not Yet Been Revealed

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is I John 3:2. Here is a lectio divina meditation...

June 05, 2015

Life is a Pilgrimage — So Embrace the Journey

Christine Valters Painter is one of the most creative and visionary of spiritual directors with...

March 2015

March 16, 2015

Social Media… and Silence

Hi. My name is Carl and I'm a Facebook addict. ("Hi, Carl!") This past weekend,...

February 2015

February 17, 2015

How to Keep a Holy Lent

Mardi Gras can be a lot of fun, but when Fat Tuesday ends, Ash Wednesday...

November 2014

November 17, 2014

Timothy Keller Gets Contemplation Wrong

Timothy Keller, the popular New York City Presbyterian pastor and author of several bestselling books,...

July 2014

July 16, 2014

Prologue 9

“Prologue 9”? What does that mean, pray tell? It’s an allusion to the Rule of...

June 2014

June 01, 2014

“That God’s Love Might Live in Us” — A Few Lovely Words from Thomas Merton

I've been re-reading Thomas Merton's The Waters of Siloe for a class I'm teaching at the...

May 2014

May 10, 2014

A Prayer for the Morning

Beautiful God, Blessed Trinity, I thank you for the gift of this new day. O...

March 2014

March 04, 2014

The Choices We Make Determine Who We Are

This morning I was reading St. John of the Cross, and came across this passage....

February 2014

February 18, 2014

Concerning Contemplative Prayer and Spiritual Xenophobia

Contemplative spirituality is a spirituality in which, in the words of Richard Rohr, "everything belongs."...

February 03, 2014

Sometimes When I Sit in Silence…

Contemplative prayer — the prayer of sitting in silence, waiting in faith and trust on...

December 2013

December 20, 2013

Preparing for the Silent Night (Conclusion)

Okay, I'm loving The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander so much that I have to give...

December 18, 2013

Preparing for the Silent Night (Part Two)

This is the second of a series of Advent reflections. To read the first part,...

December 16, 2013

Preparing for the Silent Night (Part One)

My Advent reading for this year is The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander. A twentieth...

October 2013

October 22, 2013

The Fullness of Our Destiny

I picked up a copy of an old book called The Laughter of God: At Ease...

September 2013

September 25, 2013

Embracing Depth and Diversity: a Contemplative Approach to Interspirituality and Religious Commitment

Autumn in Georgia is a mild and lovely season, marked by golden sunlight, cool...

May 2013

May 29, 2013

Three Video Clips: Speaking of Mysticism in Portland, OR

Here are three brief excerpts from a talk I gave in Portland, OR, in October...

December 2012

December 21, 2012

101+ Books for Buddhist-Christian Dialogue

Are you interested in exploring the richness of dialogue and interspiritual practice between Christianity and...

July 2012

July 23, 2012

Nonduality in the Bible … and us

A reader writes: I love reading your articles but am new to the terminology. What is...

June 2012

June 12, 2012

The Mystic Way of Evangelism

...there are other, deeper indicators of a loss of vitality in the American church. The...