Becky Garrison sent me a link to this wonderful drawing, from a blogger who calls himself Naked Pastor:
The Website of Unknowing
www.anamchara.com
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Welcome
THE WEBSITE OF UNKNOWING (www.anamchara.com) is all about Christian mysticism, Celtic wisdom, interfaith spirituality, the emergent conversation, and assorted other topics.
Click on this image to learn more about books by Carl McColman, or click here to buy copies.
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Upcoming Class
Introduction to World Mysticism through Emory University's "Evening at Emory" Program.
Madonna is studying the Kabbalah. The Shack is a runaway bestseller. Centuries after he died, everyone's reading Rumi. Yoga, Buddhism and other eastern practices are more popular among Americans than ever. So what gives? At the heart of all these cultural trends is mysticism, a vague word that can be translated as "the spiritual principle at the heart of religion." Many people believe mysticism is the golden thread that unites all the world's religions. Others scoff at the idea. Come decide for yourself in this class as we explore major themes and writings from the world's great mystical traditions. Using Andrew Harvey's The Essential Mystics as our textbook, we'll examine the world's great wisdom traditions — Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, as well as pagan and philosophical forms of mysticism — acknowledging both the common ground and the distinctive qualities of each mystical path. Class is taught from an academic/nonsectarian perspective.
Textbook: The Essential Mystics : Selections from the World's Great Wisdom Traditions.
Instructor: Carl McColman
July 22-August 12, 2009
7:00-9:00 pm
Click here to register -
Upcoming Events
Carl McColman will be co-leading the following retreat at the guesthouse of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA. For more information or to register, click here.
July 17-19, 2009:
Wisdom of the Christian Mystics
(with Fr. Tom Francis, OCSO)
From the Desert Fathers to Julian of Norwich to Thomas Merton, Christian history is filled with stories of men and women who experienced a profound sense of God's presence in their lives. Can the teachings of the mystics still speak to us today? The mystics themselves would say “yes” – and furthermore, that their message is not just for priests or monks or nuns, but is indeed meant for the entire people of God. With this in mind, during this weekend we will look at several ways in which the wisdom of the Christian mystics can provide insight and inspiration for our age. This will include the universal call to holiness – St. Paul 's directive to “pray without ceasing,” and the promise from the Psalms to “be still and know God.”
Looking Ahead:
October 30-31, 2010
Portland, Oregon: Several Events; Times and Locations to be Announced -
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If you'd like to follow me on Twitter, my user ID is @earthmystic.
Whenever I post to this blog, an announcement is generated for my Twitter feed, so you can always keep up to date with what's going on here. Twitter Updates
- Love never reaches perfection until lovers are so alike that one is transformed in the other. — St. John of the Cross 3 hours ago
- Latest Blog Post: Mary and Martha Revisited http://tinyurl.com/myqcna 17 hours ago
- God feeds the birds, but He doesn't drop it into their nests. — Proverb 1 day ago
- Thoughtful article on Catholicism in America, perfect for July 4: http://bit.ly/peLDp 1 day ago
- The precious present: every moment of every day, new possibilities and prospects continually emerge. Let's pay attention! 1 day ago
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Speaking of Mysticism
Carl McColman talks about mysticism: what it is, and why it matters, in this interview which originally aired on Atlanta's AM 1690 in September 2008. Click here to listen. -
What others say…
"www.anamchara.com is a beautiful site that lists books and web sites introducing all aspects of Christian mysticism."— Abbot Christopher Jamison, host of "The Monastery" on the BBC"One of the best spiritual blogs around"— John Skinner, author of Hear Our Silence and translator of Julian of Norwich's Revelation of Love"Thanks, Carl, for your fine and much needed work."— Richard Rohr, author of Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer"Recommended website"— Steven Sadler, author of Looking for God: A Seeker's Guide to Religious and Spiritual Groups of the World"Carl McColman is part Ken Wilber, part Richard Rohr, and part Indiana Jones’ dad."— Brittian Bullock, blogger, Sensual Jesus"As a former professor of education, I tend to critique instructors rather severely. However, Carl McColman, in my opinion, ranks as one of the all-time great instructors. He has an unbelievable mastery of his subject matter & an uncanny ability to translate esoteric matter into understandable form. On top of that, he's very personable. This is my second Evening at Emory Class with Carl and I will sign up for any class that he teaches!"— Student evaluation form -
Free Julian Prayer Cards!
If you'd like a free Julian of Norwich Prayer Card, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
Carl McColman
P.O. Box 1146
Clarkston, GA 30021
I'll send you three cards (one for you and two for friends). Sorry, I can only send these to addresses in the USA. -
I’d love to hear from you
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Post Office Box 1146
Clarkston, GA 30021
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Thanks…
... to Ian-S on Flickr for the use of his beautiful photograph of the Julian stained glass in Norwich Cathedral, which graces the Julian Prayer Card and the header of this blog. Used by permission under a Creative Commons Licence.
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November 16, 2008 at 11:49 pm
That is so funny, do you think God has a sense of Humor? I remember Bishop Sheen from years ago(he’s up for sainthood) said “the further away from the Divine, the more humor”. Of course I just about laugh at everything.
November 17, 2008 at 5:58 am
I think Bishop Sheen must have been having a bad day when he said that! Of course God has a sense of humor. Read the book of Acts, it’s filled with dry humor. Here’s another thought: When holy people like Bishop Sheen, or for that matter St. Benedict, speak out against laughter, I think they are attacking the laughter of derision, which is different from the laughter of delight. Derision is hurtful and demeaning, whereas delight fosters relationship and connection. I expect heaven to be filled with laughter and delight. As G. K. Chesterton so sagely put it, “Angels fly because they take themselves lightly.”
November 17, 2008 at 10:25 pm
This is wonderful. I am putting it on my blog. Thanks.
November 18, 2008 at 11:53 pm
I love it!!
November 19, 2008 at 12:03 am
[...] this drawing by the Naked Pastor at The Website of Unknowing. I love [...]