Remembering (and Praying with) Evelyn Underhill

Last updated on: December 22, 2018 at 1:36 am By Carl McColman

Today (June 15, 2016) marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the death of Evelyn Underhill, the Anglo-Catholic writer who probably did more than anyone else in the first half of the twentieth century to promote Christian mysticism as a spiritual path for everyone, not just priests or saints, monks or nuns. In this way she anticipated the Second Vatican Council and its affirmation of a “universal call to holiness.” Underhill is best remembered for her landmark book Mysticism: A Study in... Read more

Rehabilitating Catholicism?

Last updated on: December 22, 2018 at 1:34 am By Carl McColman

Rodney Stark is a Protestant historian who teaches at a prominent Baptist university. He’s not exactly the kind of academic one might expect to write a book defending Catholicism from the prejudicial myths that have dogged the faith over the past few generations. Yet that is exactly what he has done with Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History. Written for the general public rather than for scholars, it is an engaging and at times eye-opening read, and I think it... Read more

What is Contemplation?

Last updated on: January 26, 2018 at 12:08 pm By Carl McColman

What is contemplation? Unfortunately, answering this question is tricky — for contemplation is like some other words in the English language, such as love or success or happiness. In other words, different people use it to mean different things. Recently a reader named Daniel sent me this message: I’ve been gradually learning about contemplative spirituality for a couple of years now. Throughout this journey I’ve continually wondered how “contemplation” should be defined. I’ve discovered that it seems to mean different things in different contexts. Nevertheless, I’ve often felt... Read more

Georgia Author of the Year!

Last updated on: December 22, 2018 at 1:30 am By Carl McColman

This past Saturday evening I received a lovely honor. The Georgia Writers’ Association selected me as a “Georgia Author of the Year” in the Inspirational/Religious category for Befriending Silence. The Georgia Author of the Year Awards is the oldest literary awards ceremony in the southeastern United States, started by the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists in 1964 and hosted by the GWA since 1994. Befriending Silence was among 154 nominations in 14 categories that include both fiction and non-fiction genres. Thanks goes... Read more

Charismatic Mysticism

Last updated on: December 22, 2018 at 1:27 am By Carl McColman

“Do Gifts of the Spirit, especially those like tongues, have any connection with mysticism? Historically, theologically, experientially, in connection with the Divine… If so, in what way, and if not, why not?” A few months back, I asked folks on Facebook if they had any questions they would like me to address on my blog. Here is what a person named Anna wrote in reply: Well – this was a question I asked when I was on my silent retreat in a very... Read more

Remembering the Monks of Tibhirine

Last updated on: December 22, 2018 at 10:36 pm By Carl McColman

May 31, 2016 marks a grim anniversary in the history of the Cistercian Order. It’s been twenty years since the assassination of seven Trappist monks of Notre Dame de Atlas Abbey in Tibhirine, Algeria. The monks, who had been kidnapped by insurgents two months earlier, were probably killed on May 21; their remains were recovered ten days later — on May 31. The circumstances surrounding their death — and who was responsible — remains clouded in mystery. The Martyrs of Atlas, as... Read more

Mystagogy: the Heart of Spiritual Formation

Last updated on: March 4, 2018 at 11:56 pm By Carl McColman

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults — the Catholic process by which adults enter the Church — suggests that there are four stages or steps in the process of Christian initiation. These steps — evangelization, catechesis, initiation, and mystagogy — not only define the journey of general formation in the life of Christ (in other words, “becoming a Christian”) but they also give us insight into the process by which followers of Christ are called “deeper” into the contemplative or mystical life.... Read more

Who’s Who Among the Christian Mystics…

Last updated on: December 22, 2018 at 10:32 pm By Carl McColman

My friends, I’m happy to announce my forthcoming book, due in October 2016. Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints and Sages is a companion volume to The Big Book of Christian Mysticism. I originally envisioned including a section in that book that would serve as a sort of who’s who of mysticism, with entries for all the major figures that gave biographical informa-tion, key teachings or ideas, and a representative quote or two. For a variety of reasons, that never came to... Read more

Coming in the Fall of 2016

Last updated on: December 22, 2018 at 10:31 pm By Carl McColman

Friends, I’m so excited to announce my forthcoming book, due in October 2016 from Hampton Roads Publishing Company: Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints and Sages. This book is designed to be a companion volume to The Big Book of Christian Mysticism. While that book explained the “what” and “why” of Christian contemplative spirituality, this book covers the “who” — by profiling the lives and teachings of over 100 of the most significant and interesting of the great mystics, from Biblical times to the present... Read more

“We have been given the Holy Spirit”

Last updated on: December 22, 2018 at 10:28 pm By Carl McColman

Jesus returned to Nazareth, the town where he had been brought up. And on the Sabbath day, he went to the synagogue, as was his custom. On this particular day, he was appointed to read, and the passage for the day came from Isaiah — the same passage we heard, just a few minutes ago. Jesus unrolled the scroll, and found the place where the following words were written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has... Read more