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…
Category: Culture
The Fruit of the Spirit… and the Fraught Words that Divide Us
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things… if we live by the Spirit,…
“Breathe and Hope and Chase and Love…” Some Thoughts on the 50th Anniversary of “Tales from Topographic Oceans”
Things are all in colours And the size of others shall send you forward Arranged to sail you toward A peace of mind — “The Remembering (High the Memory)” (second…
Margaret Simon, Patron Saint of Interspiritual Seekers
The other night my wife and I watched Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Like the 1970 book by Judy Blume, this is a coming-of-age story about girls entering into the…
“It Cracks Up the Archangels Every Time!” (“Because They Have No Taste in Comedy!”)
I read lots of serious books: books about Christian theology, spiritual direction, the history of mysticism, and the psychology of meditation… that sort of thing. I’m not complaining — I…
I Love These Books with “Illuminated Manuscript” Cover Designs
Today’s post is just for fun. I was thinking this morning how much I love books that have cover art inspired by mediæval illuminated manuscript designs. So I decided to…
Saving God from Religion: A Conversation with Robin Meyers
Last week I was invited to participate in a video sponsored by my good friends from North Georgia, Mountaintop Learning (formerly Mountaintop Lectures). Mountaintop used to host events twice a…
The New “My Sweet Lord” Video is Lots of Fun, But Misses the Point of the Song
Last week, the George Harrison estate released a new, “official” video for Harrison’s 1970 masterpiece, “My Sweet Lord” from his magnum opus All Things Must Pass. It’s a playful and fun…
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Carl Perkins, and a Song About Love Between Old Friends
Today is the fortieth anniversary of the senseless, stupid murder of former Beatle John Lennon. I was a sophomore in college when it happened, and I remember it well because…
Christianity and “Other” Philosophies — Discerning Boundaries (and When to Cross Them)
A question came to me recently from a reader named Allen: I am reading some stoic philosophy. Can we learn from other philosophies or is all we need to know…
Spirituality, Fantasy, and the Divine Imagination
On September 12 and 13, 2020, I directed an online retreat for the Monastery of the Holy Spirit on “the Spirituality of the Divine Imagination.” The retreat draws from three…
Mystical Recital: Keren Dibbens-Wyatt’s Divine Prose-Poem
Some of the greatest mystics in history have written lyrical, imaginative poetry and prose in which they express the voice of God. From Catherine of Genoa’s Spiritual Dialogue to the poetry of…