The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
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THE WEBSITE OF UNKNOWING (www.anamchara.com) is all about Celtic, contemplative, emergent, and mystical spirituality, and assorted other topics.
Click on these book covers to learn more about books by Carl McColman, or click here to buy copies.
Upcoming Class
Introduction to Christian Mysticism through Emory University's "Evening at Emory" Program.
The renowned twentieth century German theologian Karl Rahner said, “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist at all.” What could he have meant by this? In the popular mind, mysticism is associated with eastern spirituality, like Yoga or Zen. But there is a little-known tradition of meditation and spiritual awakening even within Christianity. This non-sectarian class will survey the history of Christian mysticism from Biblical times to the present, explore the meaning of mysticism and why Christians often view it with suspicion, and consider the role that mysticism might play in Christianity of the present and future.
Textbook: The Big Book of Christian Mysticism.
Instructor: Carl McColman
September 23-October 21, 2010
7:00-9:00 pm
Click here to registerSpeaking 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:Newsletter
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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.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
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Everything Belongs: The Gift
of Contemplative Prayer
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Finding the Monk Within
"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-
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Category Archives: Books
Books we talked about in Ulster
Here is a partial list of some of the many books we talked about, recommended to one another, read from, or otherwise consulted, during the Spirituality and Peacemaking week in Northern Ireland earlier this month. Some of these books were … Continue reading
Posted in Books
Tagged Books, social justice, Carl McColman, John O'Donohue, Celtic Spirituality, peace, contemplative spirituality, Mary Margaret Funk, Gareth Higgins, Northern Ireland, Peacemaking, John Paul Lederach, suggested reading, Radical Activism, Seamus Heaney, Robert Kee, Gordon Lathrop, Seán Ó Duinn, Walter Wink, John Howard Yoder
3 Comments
The Big Book in the Book Clubs
The Big Book of Christian Mysticism has been picked up by two different book clubs. This is actually a rather interesting sign of how this book can speak to different audiences. It is my understanding that the first book club … Continue reading
My first Twitter review
The Big Book of Christian Mysticism has received its first (to my knowledge) review — on Twitter. It comes from the user @Tmason47 (disclosure: he’s a friend), and here it is, verbatim: @mccolman I am enjoying the balances that you … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Reviews
Tagged BBOCM, Reviews, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, Twitter
Leave a comment
What I’m reading to prepare for the Northern Ireland Retreat
Several books are on my bedside table right now, as I reflect on the spirituality and political history of Northern Ireland (and Ireland in general) in advance of the Contemplative Spirituality and Radical Activism immersion experience coming up in August. … Continue reading
It may not be big, but it’s still a “Big Book”…
On Saturday I received my first copy of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism. I am thrilled. Even though it’s nine months late (it originally was meant to be published in the fall of 2009), and even though it has … Continue reading
Book suggestions from Lindisfarne
A fellow named David from the Community of Aidan and Hilda has gotten in touch with me. He shares my conviction that Christian mysticism and Celtic spirituality naturally coinhere. Visiting his community’s website stirs in me a longing to visit … Continue reading
And what do YOU like to read?
Here’s something just for fun — that sheds some light on the reading habits of those who visit my humble website. Scattered throughout this blog and website are links to various books — books I’ve written, books written by people … Continue reading
Contemplative Practice and… Business Books?
Sometimes, I believe, the best books we can read to support our spiritual discipline are books that do not appear to be “spiritual” at all. Here’s a case in point. I recently stumbled across a new line of business books … Continue reading
Amazon’s “Click to Look Inside” Feature is Now Live…
If you’d like to take a sneak peek inside The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, or see its back cover, you now can do so, at Amazon.com. Amazon’s “Click to Look Inside” feature has now been activated for the book. … Continue reading
Posted in Announcements, Books
Tagged Amazon.com, Click to look inside, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
2 Comments
Into the Region of Awe
Into the Region of Awe: Mysticism in C. S. Lewis By David C. Downing Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005 Review by Carl McColman In his last book, Letters to Malcolm, C. S. Lewis all but declares that he is … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Christian mysticism, Mysticism, Mystics, Reviews
Tagged book reviews, C. S. Lewis, Christian mysticism, Into the Region of Awe, Mysticism
2 Comments
More endorsements!
Several other folks have praised The Big Book of Christian Mysticism since I published the first round of endorsements on this blog a few days back. Here are the latest kind words: Carl McColman has both studied and practised the … Continue reading
Is there such a thing as too many books?
I am trying to lose weight. Actually, I’m a good 15-18 pounds lighter than I was in November, when I first resolved to trim up. I’d still like to take another 20 pounds off, so I’m only about halfway to … Continue reading
Posted in Book Collecting, Books, Christian mysticism
Tagged Books, compulsions, Contemplation, dieting, Meditation, Prayer, Reading
17 Comments
What do Brian McLaren and Carolyn Myss have in common?
What do Brian McLaren and Carolyn Myss have in common? And, for that matter, Phyllis Tickle, Cynthia Bourgeault, and Richard Rohr? They have all endorsed The Big Book of Christian Mysticism. Over the last few weeks, while I’ve been proofreading … Continue reading
Posted in Announcements, Books, Christian mysticism, Reviews
Tagged Brian McLaren, Carl McColman, carolyn myss, Christine Valters Paintner, Claudia Mair Burney, Cynthia Bourgeault, Edward C. Sellner, endorsements, Jon M. Sweeney, Paul Wilkes, Phyllis Tickle, Richard Rohr, Robert Davis Hughes III, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
9 Comments
Suggested Reading for Protestant Mysticism and Contemplative Spirituality
If you’re going to participate in the class on the Protestant Mystics that I’ll be teaching at First Christian Church of Atlanta starting on April 6, then you might enjoy reading one or more of these books. They’re all written … Continue reading
The Naked Now
The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See By Richard Rohr New York: Crossroad, 2009 Review by Carl McColman Many of the finest studies of Christian mysticism are just that: studies. While authors as renowned as William Ralph … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Christian mysticism, Contemplation, Reviews
Tagged Christian spirituality, Contemplation, Mysticism, Naked Now, Richard Rohr
6 Comments
Two New Books
I have recently received two books that I am eagerly looking forward to reading. It will probably be a few weeks before I can write in-depth reviews of them, but I wanted to mention them now in case anyone who … Continue reading
Posted in Activism, Books, Emergent, Reviews, spirituality
Tagged A New Kind of Christianity, Brian McLaren, Kenneth Leech, Prayer and Prophecy
3 Comments
The Teaching of the 12
The Teaching of the 12: Believing and Practicing the Primitive Christianity of the Ancient Didache Community By Tony Jones Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2009 Review by Carl McColman The Didache is one of the most ancient of Christian documents. Its … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Christianity, Emergent, Reviews, spirituality
Tagged book reviews, Frank Viola, House Church, Reviews, The Cymbrogi, The Didache, The Teaching of the 12, Tony Jones
3 Comments
Mystical Books on Amazon.com
Okay, so here’s the kind of thing I do when I have too much time on my hands. This morning I created a book list on Amazon.com, featuring my forthcoming book (yes, of course, this is all about marketing) but … Continue reading
Posted in Book Collecting, Books, Christian mysticism, Christianity, Contemplation, How to Become a Mystic, spirituality
Tagged Amazon, Amazon.com, book lists, Books, Christian mysticism, contemplative spirituality, mystical Christianity, mystical spirituality, Reading List, Shameless Self-Promotion, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
9 Comments
My Kindle Wish List
I’ve asked Santa to bring me a Kindle for Christmas. I’m not sure if he will, but it never hurts to ask, right? One of the reasons why I want a Kindle is because there is a growing selection of … Continue reading
