“If the goal of the contemplative is union with God, does the individual begin to disappear and lose his or her unique self (personality, emotions) in pursuing this goal?” The…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
My Wonderful Book Covers
As an author (especially as a spiritual author), I always have to walk a fine line: the nature of marketing means I need to be promoting my books, but the nature of humility…
Deeper into the Heart of Christ
Over the past year I have become interested in the topic of “Christian leadership.” People who are in a leadership position in the Christian community — whether clergy, consecrated religious,…
A Quick Word
Friends, you may have noticed that I’m not posting much lately. Don’t worry, that’s only a temporary situation. I am currently focussed on writing my next book, which will be…
#1 on Amazon!
Okay, I know this is a “big fish in a small pond” moment. Indeed, it’s a VERY small pond. But still! Over the last 24 hours, Befriending Silence (which will…
Five Things I Learned From Phyllis Tickle
September 2015 has turned out to be a rough month, at least for awesome Anglican writers. First Kenneth Leech passed away on the 12th, and just ten days later Phyllis…
Thirteen Characteristics of Healthy Spirituality
Following the passing of Anglican contemplative theologian Kenneth Leech, I’ve been revisiting several of his books. In the back of his book True God: An Exploration in Spiritual Theology is…
Kenneth Leech (1939-2015)
I have learned of the passing of Father Kenneth Leech, who died on September 12, 2015 after a long illness. He was born in 1939 and grew up in a secular…
The Fear of the Lord and the Love of God
As a young man growing up in the American south, I heard the phrase “God fearing” a lot. As in, “He’s a God fearing man.” I think it comes from…
The Contemplative Story of Dear Prudence
I love the Beatles, and like many Beatles fans, I think The White Album is one of their great masterpieces. And one of the best songs on The White Album…
Three Mystics You May Have Missed
Walk into a Catholic bookstore — or a general bookstore large enough to have a “Christian mysticism” section — and you will see books by or about Thomas Merton, Julian of Norwich,…
Seven Ways the Mystics Inspire Us Today
One of my favorite quotations comes from Karl Rahner: “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist.” It’s a prophetic statement, from a man who died…