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…
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of Contemplative Prayer
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Finding the Monk Within
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"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: monasticism
Chants from the Benedictine Monks of Rostrevor
When I was in Northern Ireland, I stayed at a retreat center in Rostrevor, in County Down. Just four miles down the road is Holy Cross Monastery, which according to its website is the first new Benedictine monastery in Ireland … Continue reading
Posted in Mysticism, monasticism
Tagged liturgy, Music, Christian spirituality, Northern Ireland, monks, Rostrevor, Chant, Gregorian Chant, Benedictine monks, Holy Cross Monastery
3 Comments
Means of Liberation and Internal Conversion
Yesterday at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit’s lay associates gathering day, I attended a class in which we considered a document called Lay Cistercian Identity, drawn up at an international gathering of Cistercian lay associates in Spain two years … Continue reading
iMonk
Michael Casey, a wonderful Trappist author from Australia, has begun a podcast on the Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict. If you’re interested in checking out what contemporary monastics have to say about this ancient document, visit this page: … Continue reading
The Two Faces of Restlessness
Yesterday at the Lay Cistercian Gathering Day we had a class on the monastic vow of stability (Cistercian monks have three vows: Stability, Obedience, and Conversion of Life). The brother who taught the class spoke at one point about restlessness … Continue reading
Posted in Art, monasticism, spirituality
Tagged Art, complacency, creativity, Jimmy Page, monasticism, restlessness, sin, stability
14 Comments
Quote for the Day
There are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence. — St. Benedict, The Rule of St. Benedict
Posted in Quotations, monasticism, silence
Tagged Benedict, Quotations, Quote for the Day, St. Benedict, The Rule of St. Benedict
6 Comments
Monks on Public Radio
I copied the following graphic, paragraph and link from the City Cafe page of the Public Broadcasting Atlanta website. It features a four-minute audio clip that has recently been broadcast on WABE, Atlanta’s public broadcasting radio station. Click on the … Continue reading
Posted in monasticism
Tagged audio clip, chanting, Monastery of the Holy Spirit, monasticism, monks, spirituality
2 Comments
Finding the Monk Within
Finding the Monk Within: Great Monastic Values for Today By Edward C. Sellner Mahwah, NJ: HiddenSpring, 2008 Review by Carl McColman Ed Sellner is known primarily for his writing on various aspects of the Celtic Christian spiritual tradition (such as … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Reviews, monasticism, spirituality
Tagged Christianity, Edward C. Sellner, Finding the Monk Within, monasticism, Reviews, spirituality
3 Comments
Cloister of the Heart
The other day I had a wonderful chat with a friend of mine who is a Lay Cistercian and who regularly makes retreats at the monastery where I work. As Lay Cistercians, we have a unique perspective on monastic spirituality … Continue reading
Cloister Talks
Cloister Talks: Learning from My Friends the Monks By Jon M. Sweeney Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2009 Review by Carl McColman Monasteries are archetypal. Even for Protestants who live in a religious milieu that does not include monastic communities, monks … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Reviews, monasticism, spirituality
Tagged Cloister Talks, Jon M. Sweeney, monasteries, monasticism
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Quote for the Day
A monastery can never be merely an escape from the world. Its very purpose is to enable us to face the problems of the world at their deepest level, that is to say, in relation to God and eternal life. … Continue reading
Posted in Quotations, monasticism
Tagged monasticism, Quote for the Day, Bede Griffiths, The Golden String
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Lay Cistercian Promises
Yesterday I made my simple promises as a Lay Cistercian, along with six of my friends. Three others, who already were junior Lay Cistercians renewed their promises. The promises are for one year, and need to be repeated annually for … Continue reading
The Promises and Charisms of Lay-Cistercians
In May, God willing and with the permission of my community, I will make my first simple promises as a Lay Cistercian. The Lay Cistercians are an association of laymen and laywomen who have chosen to live their vocation as … Continue reading
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, Contemplation, Lay Cistercians, Prayer, monasticism, spirituality
10 Comments
The Beautiful Monastery
The Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia, is a beautiful place. It’s a peaceful environment, perfect for an hour, a day, or a weekend (or, if you’re a single Catholic man sensing a vocation to religious life, for … Continue reading
Meg Funk
One of the most respected of contemporary Benedictine spiritual writers is Mary Margaret (Meg) Funk, OSB. Her books include Thoughts Matter: The Practice of the Spiritual Life and Tools Matter for Practicing the Spiritual Life. She writes not only about … Continue reading
“…the Vision of Ultimate Reality as Unconditional Love…”
This little video will give you some insight into why I like to hang out with monks. It features Fr. Thomas Keating, OCSO, speaking at an Integral Contemplative Christianity Conference put on by Ken Wilber’s Integral Institute. If you have … Continue reading
Monk Habits for Everyday People
Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants By Dennis Okholm Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2007 Review by Carl McColman Okay, so this book has a lame title. But the point of the book is neatly encapsulated in … Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Reviews, monasticism
Tagged Benedictine spirituality, Dennis Okholm, monasticism, Protestantism, Reviews
1 Comment
Monastic Evangelicals
Christianity Today has posted an article about the growing interest, particularly among young evangelicals, in various aspects of monastic and liturgical spirituality, including Celtic spirituality. Click here to read it. Dare we hope that Christian mysticism could be the next … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, monasticism
Tagged Christian spirituality, evangelicalism, monasticism
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Silence and Light
Blue Originally uploaded by TW Collins I just discovered that Flickr has a wonderful array of photographs (from a variety of photographers) shot at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. Some of these photos are from a … Continue reading
