“If the goal of the contemplative is union with God, does the individual begin to disappear and lose his or her unique self (personality, emotions) in pursuing this goal?” The above question came to me in an email from a reader of this blog. It’s a huge question and I’m not sure a single blog post can do it justice. But I’ll give it a try. St. Bernard of Clairvaux suggests that the spiritual life encompasses four degrees of love.... Read more
As an author (especially as a spiritual author), I always have to walk a fine line: the nature of marketing means I need to be promoting my books, but the nature of humility means that I may not brag about them. At least, not about the text, which is to say, the content that I created. But my books are more than just my work. Every book represents the labor and creativity not only of the author, but of editors, proofreaders, salespeople, marketers and publicists, and designers.... Read more
So today is the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. It’s also the beginning of the Jubilee Year of Mercy as declared by Pope Francis. Which is a wonderful way to honor Vatican II — a year devoted not only to seeking God’s mercy, but to reflecting on how the Body of Christ can be mercy, can bring mercy to a world that seems increasingly fraught by violence, fear, and injustice. What does it mean to be God’s... Read more
Earlier today I joined Deborah Arca, one of the editors of Patheos, for a Skype conversation about my new book, Befriending Silence. We talked about Cistercian spirituality and how it can be a blessings for everyone, even monks and nuns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0vImOYGirU Enjoy reading this blog? Click here to become a patron. Read more
Bruno Barnhart died on November 28, the birthday of William Blake. I never met the man (if you’d like to read a remembrance from someone who knew him well, see Cynthia Bourgeault’s eulogy), but I’ve been familiar with his work for many years now, and am sad to learn of his passing. I am currently working on a book profiling the 100 most significant contemplative writers past and present — and I’ve written a profile for Barnhart, which may be in... Read more
Over the past year I have become interested in the topic of “Christian leadership.” People who are in a leadership position in the Christian community — whether clergy, consecrated religious, or lay leaders — who are they? What makes them leaders? Where do Christian leaders take the rest of us? How do we identify a “good” leader? That sort of thing. It’s an interesting question, because the mark of a “good leader” in a religious sense is in many ways at... Read more
An editor at Patheos recently pointed me to the following trailer, and suggested I blog some thoughts in response to it. Well, aside from being very interested in seeing the film, it makes me ponder how so many people we think of as “saints” or “mystics” or particularly “holy” often have interior lives shaped by profound struggle. We need look no further than Thomas Merton. Granted, he’s nowhere near canonization (and I doubt he ever will be — he’s more like... Read more
If you want access to a living Catholic contemplative tradition, look to the Trappists. In the past few weeks I’ve read three books that demonstrate the wisdom of Trappist monks. Two of the books are new, and one is an overlooked gem from twenty years ago. One of the titles is written by a monk; the others by laypersons who share how the friendship and guidance of monks helped them in periods of transition in their own spiritual journey. First up... Read more
Friends, you may have noticed that I’m not posting much lately. Don’t worry, that’s only a temporary situation. I am currently focussed on writing my next book, which will be a companion volume to The Big Book of Christian Mysticism. It will be published in late 2016 or early 2017. I’ll say more about it when we get closer to the publication date. I should be back on a weekly posting schedule by mid-November. But in the meantime, I want to... Read more
Okay, I know this is a “big fish in a small pond” moment. Indeed, it’s a VERY small pond. But still! Over the last 24 hours, Befriending Silence (which will be published in four weeks) has been listed as Amazon’s “#1 New Release in Christian Monasticism & Asceticism“! Woo hoo! My little book on Cistercian spirituality has topped several books by authors I admire (like Joan Chittister, Charles Cummings and William of St. Thierry) to land this coveted spot. Granted, I’m being a... Read more
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