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Christian mysticism

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September 2022

September 24, 2022

Twelve Mystical Anthologies That Belong in Every Contemplative Library

There are literally hundreds of mystics in the Christian tradition alone — or, should I...

June 2022

June 28, 2022

Encountering Christian Mysticism with the “Mystics and Skeptics” Podcast

Hi friends, I recently was a guest on the "Mystics and Skeptics" podcast. Needless to...

January 2022

January 18, 2022

New Online Course: the Contemplative Wisdom of “Meditations on the Tarot”

Thomas Keating loved it. So did Basil Pennington and Bede Griffiths. In our time,...

December 2021

December 28, 2021

A Great Mystical Book — With a Surprising Title

I've recently been re-reading one of the most fascinating and unusual books of mystical wisdom...

November 2021

November 04, 2021

Putting the “Christian” into “Christian Mysticism”

Mysticism crosses all religious and spiritual boundaries. In other words, mysticism — like prayer or...

March 2021

March 09, 2021

A Meditation on the Spirituality of Healing (A Patreon Sneak Peek)

A note from Carl: Friends, I am currently writing a manuscript that I am calling...

January 2021

January 14, 2021

Explore the Mystical Life — with a Christian Mysticism “Unknowledge Base”!

Friends, I'm excited to announce a major new initiative on my personal website (www.anamchara.com). Coming...

December 2020

December 28, 2020

A Mystical Catechism

One of my dreams is to create a Christian Mysticism Knowledge Base (or, perhaps better...

October 2020

October 31, 2020

Help Santa Out: Seven Books to Give to Anyone Interested in Learning About Christian Mysticism

Okay, friends, I know we haven't even made it to All Saint's yet, but Christmas is less...

August 2020

August 28, 2020

Living in the Spirit of Contemplative Prayer

What does it mean to live a contemplative life? Especially for those of us who...

August 17, 2020

In Defense of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a central tenet of Christian faith and practice. But what exactly is it?...

August 07, 2020

Do Christian Mystics Believe in Redemption?

An email came to me today, with this question: Dear Carl, I read your Big Book...

June 2020

June 18, 2020

A Drop of Water is Not the Ocean (Understanding Christian Mystical Teachings of Union and Nonduality)

A reader named Beth writes: Hi Carl, I started reading "The Big Book of Christian...

November 2019

November 08, 2019

Contemplation, Community, and the Institutional Church: Has the Time Come to Be “Mystical But Not Religious”?

I often get asked if Christian mysticism needs the institutional church. Do you have to...

February 2019

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 17, 2019

Great Mystical Book Covers

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

November 2018

November 01, 2018

Dialogue with a Druid (About the Relationship Between the Mystical Life and Faith Community)

On Facebook recently I engaged in a dialogue with a reader named Aaron who commented...

July 2018

July 14, 2018

Why Are the Mystics So… Weird?!?

One thing I love about the mystics is just how weird they are. Obviously, there are...

July 11, 2018

What’s in a (Sacred) Story? Meditating on the Mysteries of Your Faith

To be a mystic is to be the explorer of both Divine and human mysteries...

March 2018

March 12, 2018

The Little Book of Christian Mysticism is Now Available!

I'm pleased to announce that The Little Book of Christian Mysticism has been published. If you have...

February 2018

February 12, 2018

A First Look at My Christian Mysticism Trilogy

This photo appeared on Twitter a few days ago: I got the goodie package @CarlMcColman...

November 2017

November 07, 2017

How to Find a Mystical Teacher, Part Two

This post is a sequel to my post from last week called How to Find...

November 02, 2017

How to Find a Mystical Teacher

A reader sent me this message the other day: I am loving your book, Christian...

October 2017

October 26, 2017

Six Books on Christian Spirituality (and the Order in Which to Read Them)

It's always a little awkward to write about my own books. But today's post is...

October 19, 2017

Some thoughts on Non-Dualism (East and West) and Single-Mindedness

A reader on Facebook recently asked me: How do Eastern and Western non dualism differ?...

October 11, 2017

Coming in April 2018: The Little Book of Christian Mysticism! (Pre-Order Your Copy Today)

I have a new book coming in April 2018: The Little Book of Christian Mysticism!...

September 2017

September 22, 2017

Seven “Ingredients” for Cultivating a Truly Mystical Life

Last night I gave a talk at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip, here in...

September 04, 2017

Imagine Thomas Merton Teaching You a Class on Christian Mysticism…

Wouldn't it be great if you could have access to the lecture notes of a...

August 2017

August 10, 2017

How do Contemplatives Share the Gospel with Others?

In my recent book, Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints and Sages, I made a comment that...

April 2017

April 10, 2017

Is it possible to be a “Do It Yourself” Christian Mystic? Evelyn Underhill would say “No” — and I agree with her

Nearly all Christian mystics maintain that an essential characteristic of Christian mysticism is participation in the Body...