A reader wrote to me recently: Hello, I am interested in becoming a Christian Mystic. However I am not sure if I can join a monastery due to being a…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
Two Books that Shaped My Spiritual Path
Two of the most meaningful books I’ve ever read are Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness and Thich Nhat Hanh’s Living Buddha Living Christ. I…
In Memory of Father Tom Francis Smith (1927-2024), Monk, Mystic and Friend
Friends, I am heartbroken to share with you that Father Thomas Francis Smith, OCSO, of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit passed away early this morning. He was 96 years…
Contemplating How the Sausage is Made
Twice in recent days I’ve had conversations with people in ministry about their spiritual life, and the idiomatic phrase “seeing how the sausage is made” got used. Here’s a (paraphrased)…
Mystical Spirituality Can Change the Way You Think About Religion. And That’s Okay.
More than once on this blog I have quoted an amazing few words from the American mystic Howard Thurman, who had this to say in 1939: Acts of worship must…
If You Worship an Angry God, You’ll Be an Angry Person
A reader named Paul wrote to me with the following question: Why is there more often than not such an intolerance, condemnation and even hatred between the different faiths and…
From “Orthodox” to “Open” — Some Personal Thoughts on How Faith Can Evolve Over Time
A reader of this blog sent me the following question: Hi Carl, I’ve been reading quite a bit of your blog. It seems like back around 2016-2017, you were making…
Spiritual Practices, Traumatic Shame, and Holy Freedom
Recently I read Laura E. Anderson’s When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion. Anderson, a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and herself a survivor of…
Coming in 2025! Official Announcement of My Forthcoming Book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksQxnWc4ERk Hi friends, I’m so pleased to announce the title — and cover art — of my forthcoming book! It will be published in 2025 by Broadleaf Books and represents…
The God who is Love and the Death of Christ: A Contemplative Reflection
Allen, who is a reader of this blog, recently sent me a thoughtful email; here are some excerpts from what he wrote: I have a profound connection with the teachings…
Julian of Norwich and the Non-binary God
In the middle ages — 1373, to be exact — an obscure English woman got sick, and while she was ill, experienced visions of God, Christ, Mary, and heaven. We know…
The Difference Between Apophatic and Kataphatic Spirituality
Many years ago, my very first spiritual director recommended a book to me; she suggested that I read Gerald May’s 1982 classic: Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology. I did,…