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May 2022

May 30, 2022

“Do I stay Christian?” A Conversation with Brian D. McLaren on a Significant Question for Our Time

Last Wednesday I had the distinct honor of being part of a group interview with...

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...

August 2021

August 08, 2021

The Problem with Christianity in a Nutshell

We all know that so many people today prefer to remain spiritually independent, intentional about...

March 2021

March 23, 2021

Hunting Magic Eels: the Quest for a Re-Enchanted Christianity

Richard Beck, professor of psychology at Abilene Christian University in Texas, has just released a...

February 2021

February 17, 2021

Many Paths, One Way: Balancing Religious Commitment with Spiritual Diversity

A reader, who chooses to remain anonymous, posed the following question: "a world shaped by...

July 2020

July 25, 2020

Praying with the Spanish Mystics

This week I facilitated my second Zoom retreat hosted by the monks of Holy Cross...

February 2020

February 03, 2020

Less than 12% of the Catholic Catechism is devoted to spirituality. That, in a nutshell, is what’s wrong with the church today.

Over the years I have discovered that there are three types of people interested in...

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...

November 02, 2019

Gatekeeping and Contemplation: Is the Church Its Own Worst Enemy?

A friend of mine posted the following fascinating observation recently on Facebook: I am easing...

June 2019

June 20, 2019

Eight Pagan Books (by a Christian Author)

In my forthcoming book Unteachable Lessons, I tell how I spent a period of time estranged...

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...

March 2019

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...

October 2018

October 18, 2018

Letting Go Of (Our Limited Image of) God

“God loves us whether we remain Christian or not." That's a statement I made in...

October 04, 2018

Can Christians Use a (Non-Christian) Mantra?

A reader, who identifies as a contemplative/mystical Christian, posted this question to me on Facebook:...

August 2017

August 15, 2017

How Should A Christian Respond When a Friend Becomes Interested in Witchcraft and Magic?

As long-standing readers of this blog know, I have not always been a Catholic; I...

December 2016

December 01, 2016

“You Wrote Books About Paganism?!?”

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

October 2015

October 13, 2015

Five Approaches to InterSpirituality

Brother Wayne Teasdale, author of The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's...

September 2015

September 09, 2015

The Fear of the Lord and the Love of God

As a young man growing up in the American south, I heard the phrase "God...

August 2015

August 26, 2015

Seven Ways the Mystics Inspire Us Today

One of my favorite quotations comes from Karl Rahner: "The Christian of the future will...

July 2015

July 06, 2015

Do You Need a Spiritual Teacher?

A reader of my blog wrote the following message to me: I have been meditating...

February 2015

February 11, 2015

Seven Hopes for the Christian (and Church) of the Future

In his 1981 book Concern for the Church, Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner made his famous...

July 2014

July 27, 2014

Interfaith-Friendly Christianity?

Jesus, following the law of his people, instructed his followers to "love your neighbor as yourself."...

December 2013

December 11, 2013

Interfaith Dialogue, Interspirituality, and Holy Daring

Recently I spoke at a church located about an hour north of where I live....

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...

September 20, 2013

Our Words, Our Breath, Our Bodies, Our Spirit

Once again, Alison Leigh Lilly wows me with the elegance, beauty and insight of her...

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...

September 2011

September 01, 2011

“Accept all things… silently and with a tranquil mind…”

Then you should readily and trustfully commit yourself and all that concerns you to the...