The Website of Unknowing

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  Pre-order your copy of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism by clicking here.

• Welcome

  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.

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• Upcoming Class

  To register, click here
  
  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
  April 14-May 5, 2010
  7:00-9:00 pm
  To register, click here

• Upcoming Events

  Carl McColman will be co-leading the following retreats at the guesthouse of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA. For more information or to register, click here.
  
  June 4-6, 2010:
  Spiritual Writing and Journal Keeping
  (with Fr. James Behrens, OCSO)
  Explore your personal connection between the inner life and the written word. This weekend includes time for silence, for journaling, and for reflections on the relationship between writing and the spiritual life. Suitable for professional and amateur writers at all skill levels, this weekend does not include personal criticism or feedback. Instead, it simply creates a space where you can write, you can pray, and perhaps even combine the two into a unified spiritual practice. New for 2010: the weekend will include breakout sessions - one for bloggers & journalists, the other for professional (and aspiring professional) writers - where writers with similar goals and interests can gather to share ideas and experiences.
  
  July 23-25, 2010:
  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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• Twitter Updates

  • I'm listening to Vox Divina (http://bit.ly/boq27n) featuring music by Tallis, Byrd and Palestrina. Gorgeous! #pandora 16 hours 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

  
  "You are a gifted writer, thoughtful person, and wise teacher."

  — Edward C. Sellner, author of
  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

• Vox Divina

  Do you love sacred choral music from composers like Tallis, Byrd, Palestrina and Victoria? If so, then listen to my Pandora station, Vox Divina.
• 

• I’d love to hear from you

  Email me at
  
  or send old-fashioned mail to:

  Carl McColman
  Post Office Box 1146
  Clarkston, GA 30021
  USA

• Disclaimer & Disclosure

  This blog belongs to me, Carl McColman. The opinions expressed here are mine, and may not necessarily reflect the views of my employers, my publishers, or anyone else associated with me.

  In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I want my readers to know that many publishers, authors and publicists supply free books and galleys to me for the purpose of reviews or other exposure on this blog. I do not review or mention every book sent to me and I make no promise to do so. In addition to the many complimentary books I receive, I have also purchased (or borrowed from friends) many of the books I review or endorse. As a matter of personal integrity, I strive to be honest and objective when writing about books, without regard to whether or not a book has been supplied to me by its promoters.

  One of the purposes of this blog is to inform and educate readers about the splendors of the Christian mystical tradition, as well as other wisdom traditions. The mystical tradition includes spiritual practices and exercises that can lead to profound temporary and permanent changes in consciousness. Mysticism is not the same thing as therapy and the information presented here is not intended to diagnose or treat any mental or physical conditions. Spiritual practice is not meant to be a substitute for psychotherapy or any other form of therapy. Individuals who are in need of mental or physical health care are urged to seek the counsel of a qualified professional. Furthermore, anyone interested in seriously engaging in the work of spiritual practice, Christian or otherwise, should seek the guidance of a qualified spiritual director, meditation instructor, or other personal mentor. The material presented on this website is not intended to replace in-person training and mentoring from a qualified spiritual teacher.

  Thank you for your interest in this website, and may God bless you on your journey.

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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. Used by permission under a Creative Commons Licence.
  
  ... to Cindy47452 on Flickr for the use of her Christmas Eve Sunset photo. Used by permission under a Creative Commons Licence.

• About Carl McColman

  
  Carl McColman is the author of 10 books on the spiritual life. Most of his works published before 2005 concern Pagan and Celtic spirituality. In 2005 he became a Catholic, and his latest book, on Christian mysticism, is in production with a scheduled publication date of late 2010. He has been blogging since 2003.