If you want to learn the Centering Prayer method of silently consenting to God’s presence and action in your life, explore the psychology and theology of such prayer, learn about related practices such as lectio divina, and find a community of like-minded persons who can support you in establishing and maintaining a daily silent prayer practice, then Contemplative Outreach is for you.
Thomas Merton is one of the towering figures of contemplative spirituality over the last century. This Trappist monk was a gifted writer and a brilliant interpreter of the Christian spiritual…
Karl Rahner said that Christians of the future will be mystics. But what is a mystic? What do mystics do, and how is their faith and spirituality unique? This course…
Friends, I’m excited to announce a major new initiative on this website. Coming on February 1, 2021, I’m launching a Christian Mysticism (Un)Knowledge Base. (Update: it’s been launched! Visit the…
Origen of Alexandria, one of the earliest Christian mystics, suggested that the Bible needs to be read on three levels: the literal, the moral, and the mystical.
It’s important to understand the distinctions between these three approaches to the scriptures.
When I was a small boy, there was a lady named Mrs. Frazier who lived across the street from my home. Mrs. Frazier and her husband were a bit older…
One of my dreams is to create a Christian Mysticism Knowledge Base (or, perhaps better described as a Christian Mysticism Un-knowledge Base!). I wrote the following questions a while back thinking…
Here’s a meditation I developed a few months ago for a retreat I led for an Episcopal Church. It’s based on Julian of Norwich’s vision of the hazelnut. Before you…
Experience the prayer, poetry, folklore, and spirituality of the Celtic Christians of old — and how their down to-earth, lyrical, and hope-filled wisdom still speaks to us today. Our day together…
Explore the wisdom, wit, poetry and mysticism of the Celtic saints in this 3-day online retreat! In March, I will return (via Zoom) to lead another retreat sponsored by the…
A reader recently wrote to me: Dear Carl, I grew up as a Protestant, but as I’ve journeyed into Contemplative Christianity over the last while I’ve become more amenable to Roman…
In March 2020 I was scheduled to travel to western North Carolina to give a retreat on Celtic Spirituality. Alas, it was not to be: the Covid-19 pandemic happened. But…