It’s the first Sunday of Advent. So liturgically speaking, it’s a new church year. Happy new year! In the spirit of making a new year’s resolution, I’d like a pose…
Tag: Christian mysticism
I’m Wondering About the Relationship Between Mysticism and the Church. Here’s Why.
I often get asked if Christian mysticism needs the institutional church. Do you have to be a member of a church in order to be a Christian mystic? Or, to…
Howard Thurman: With Head and Heart
So in reading Howard Thurman’s autobiography, I expected to bask in his deeply authentic humility, his compassionate heart, and his keen sense of God’s presence, justice and mercy. But what truly blew me away about the autobiography was the evidence of just how deep a mystic he was — and the continual delight of enjoying his rhetorical skill as a writer.
What Inspired Me to Write About Christian Mysticism
This month marks nine years since The Big Book of Christian Mysticism was published. Hard to believe it’s been that long! To mark this anniversary, I’m reposting here an “author’s statement” about the book that…
Unteachable Lessons: Why Wisdom Can’t Be Taught (and Why That’s Okay)
My dear friends, it’s time to announce a new book that’s coming out this fall. It’s called Unteachable Lessons: Why Spirituality Can’t Be Taught… And Why That’s Okay. It will be published in September. To pre-order it now, click here. I’m very excited about this book for several reasons. Unlike my…… Read more at Patheos
Walter Hilton: A Contemplative Guide Who Will Take You Back to the Basics
Twice this month, the lesser-known English mystic Walter Hilton has shown up on this blog. First I wrote about a dream I had, and how I think Hilton inspired me to dream about a “Hilton Hotel.” Then I wrote about some of my favorite “mystical book covers” and one of…… Read more at Patheos
Great Mystical Book Covers
The other day I wrote a post about a dream I had back in the 1980s. I mentioned in that post that I used to shop at an old Catholic Bookstore that used to carry the old Image Books editions of the mystics. That was back when you could buy…… Read more at Patheos
Dialogue with a Druid (About the Relationship Between the Mystical Life and Faith Community)
On Facebook recently I engaged in a dialogue with a reader named Aaron who commented on my post Letting Go of (Our Limited Image of) God. This reader describes “druidry” as “his main private practice,” although he remains connected with progressive Christianity as well. Our conversation explores the idea that sometimes,…… Read more at Patheos
A Litany for Julian of Norwich
Here is a litany created from the words of Julian of Norwich, 14th Century English Mystic. I put together this litany for a Julian of Norwich quiet day I led at a church in Atlanta a few years ago. Yesterday I was going through some papers and found a copy…… Read more at Patheos
Get to Know Meister Eckhart: A “Dangerous Mystic”
Meister Eckhart is one of the most renowned of Christian mystics: a medieval philosopher who could have gone down in history as an equal to Augustine or Aquinas — but whose career (and legacy) as a theologian was forever tarnished by accusations of heresy at the end of his life.…… Read more at Patheos
Why Are the Mystics So… Weird?!?
One thing I love about the mystics is just how weird they are. Obviously, there are mystics who see visions, who hear voices, who smell beautiful aromas that no one else can smell, that sort of thing. There are also stories out there of mystics who levitate, who survived for who-knows-how-long…… Read more at Patheos
What’s in a (Sacred) Story? Meditating on the Mysteries of Our Faith
To be a mystic is to be the explorer of both Divine and human mysteries (which corresponds to Jesus’s two essential teachings, “Love God” and “Love your neighbors”). We often…