After almost 18 months of doing only online retreats and programs, I am thrilled to announce my first in-person event of 2021, at beautiful Mepkin Abbey in South Carolina! This…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
My Latest Initiative, or, What is a “Contemplative in Residence”?
Friends, I am honored to announce that I have embraced a special relationship with one of Atlanta’s most progressive and visionary spiritual communities. I have been named the “Contemplative in…
Online Day of Reflection for Patrons: Transfiguration (August 7, 2021)
Four times a year I offer an online Quiet Day/Day of Reflection for the generous patrons who support the Anamchara website/blog/knowledge base through Patreon. The next such quiet day will…
Online Event: The Path of the Awakened Heart (July 31,2021)
Authors Colette Lafia and Carl McColman join together to lead this special online program celebrating the wisdom of the heart. Sponsored by the East West Bookshop of Mountain View California….
Why the Desert Mothers and Fathers Still Matter
In one of his daily emails, Richard Rohr once admitted that he has some issues with the sayings of the Desert Mothers and Fathers — the early Christian hermits and…
Come to the Eternal Heart Publication Day Celebration — June 29, 2021!
Friends, you are invited to a special virtual event: the Eternal Heart Book Launch Celebration! We will gather via Zoom on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 from 7:30 – 8:45 PM (Eastern…
Reclaiming the Bible as a Mystical Masterpiece
Part of the process of reclaiming mystical Christianity in our day will be the equally important task of reclaiming a mystical understanding of the Bible.
What I look for when I read contemplative books
I often get asked to recommend “the best” contemplative books. I’m happy to do so (see this post for a recent attempt to list some of the better books), but…
Take This One-Question Survey: Your Favorite Way(s) to Explore Contemplative Spirituality
Friends, could you take a half a minute and fill out this 1-question survey? I’m planning my calendar for the rest of the year, and I’m trying to gauge how…
When You Pre-order a Book, It Makes a Difference (Here’s Why)
Please click on the button of your preferred retailer to pre-order Eternal Heart: If you have already pre-ordered Eternal Heart, I thank you. If you haven’t, please do so. I’m not…
Why Julian of Norwich Matters to Me
I first “met” Julian of Norwich through reading Evelyn Underhill’s magisterial book Mysticism: The Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness. Underhill’s book changed my life, for a number of reasons: it…
Union, Intimacy, and Love: the Dynamics of Christian Mysticism
The best way to understand Christian mysticism (if “understanding” is even a possibility, given the mysterious nature of mysticism) is to approach it as a process: a developmental journey of how one relates to God.