Here is another treasure from filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg. Take a 4½ minute break and watch this video, filled with lush and sensual imagery from the natural world. It’s a trailer for…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
On Being a Lay Cistercian
“Are you a monk?” I get asked that question a lot, especially when I’m at the monastery where I work and pray and lead retreats. Perhaps it’s because of my…
Speaking of Mysticism: Three Video Clips Filmed in Portland, Oregon
Here are three brief excerpts from a talk I gave in Portland, OR, in October 2010 on the topic of Christian mysticism. These videos were produced by Cathy Zheutlin who…
A List of Books for Buddhist-Christian Dialogue
Are you interested in exploring the richness of dialogue and interspiritual practice between Christianity and Buddhism? If so, then here’s enough literature to keep you going for a while. Each…
“Seen by wonder; kissed warmly by love; embraced by delight”: Richard of St. Victor on Contemplation
The more I read Richard of St. Victor, the more I love him. Here are a few jewels from the fifteenth chapter of Book IV of The Mystical Ark: See…
Praying with St. John of the Cross
A friend of mine suggested I read Wayne Simsic’s Seeking the Beloved: A Prayer Journey with St. John of the Cross, offering the book pretty high praise: “I never ‘got’…
Is Contemplation Boring?
“This article is boring.” I don’t know of any writer who wants to get this type of feedback from a reader. It certainly isn’t the kind of comment that makes…
World Mysticism, Interfaith Dialogue, and Interspirituality
In my first book, Spirituality, I wrote, In my experience, my faithfulness to Christ and my openness to the wisdom of other traditions are two aspects of my spiritual journey…
Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation Through the Centuries
This beautifully illustrated and informative title from Orbis Books in the USA (Canterbury Press in the UK) provides a very nice overview of the history of contemplative spirituality within Christianity….
Nonduality in the Bible … and us
A reader writes: I love reading your articles but am new to the terminology. What is “non-dualism” and is it compatible with Biblical truth? Also, why did non-dualism get marginalised? Great questions,…
The Nondual Writers of Footnote #45
A reader of this blog writes to me: Hi Carl. I was reading Richard Rohr’s The Naked Now and in one of the footnotes he lists a number of “non-dualistic” writers he…
An Accident and its Aftermath
In the summer of 1992, I was in a rather nasty car accident. It left me with a jaw broken in several places, a few missing teeth, lacerations along one…