Archive | Mysticism RSS feed for this section

Plunging Thought Into Light

By in Mysticism, Spirituality

The Philokalia is an extensive anthology of writings on prayer by Eastern Orthodox contemplatives. The anthology was first compiled in the 18th century, and a number of editions have been published over the years, in Greek, Russian, and other languages; currently a four volume set is available in English (which does not include the entire anthology; [...]

Read full story · Comments { 2 } · March 20, 2013

Seven Books on Christianity and Nondualism

By in Mysticism, Spirituality

My friend Ellen recently asked me on Facebook to define nondualism for her. I referred her to a post I wrote on the subject last summer called Nonduality in the Bible… and Us. Not much to add to that post, but I though I’d offer a short list of books that explore nonduality within a [...]

Read full story · Comments { 11 } · December 27, 2012

A shout out to Evelyn Underhill and her wonderful book

By in Books, Mysticism

Over the next few weeks or so I’ll be posting four new videos on Youtube. One will be an “about me” video, one in which I talk about my three most recent books, one in which I talk about an idea I first presented at the Patheos website on “compass points for the spiritual life,” [...]

Read full story · Comments { 9 } · December 10, 2012

The Ethics of Sharing Mystical Knowledge: Meister Eckhart and the Cloud Author

By in Books, Christian mysticism, Mysticism, Spirituality

Pick up any edition of The Cloud of Unknowing, and you are likely to find the following language a bit intimidating: Whoever you are possessing this book, know that I charge you with a serious responsibility, to which I attach the sternest sanctions that the bonds of love can bear. It does not matter whether [...]

Read full story · Comments { 7 } · December 7, 2012

Purity

By in Christianity, Mysticism, Spirituality

Purity does not lie in separation from but in deeper penetration into the universe. — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin I stumbled across this quote from Teilhard while reading an essay by Annie Dillard called “Flying in the Middle of Art.” She doesn’t provide the original source, and I googled it and couldn’t find it that [...]

Read full story · Comments { 15 } · November 2, 2012

The Rare Handful? (Jean Leclercq’s Definition of Mystical Experience)

By in Christian mysticism, Mysticism

In the Classics of Western Spirituality edition of the Selected Works of Bernard of Clairvaux, Benedictine scholar Jean Leclercq, OSB offers the follow definition of “mystical experience”: …those rare occasions when a handful of Christians may enjoy sublime states of prayer and union with God. What do you think? I have problems with the idea [...]

Read full story · Comments { 10 } · October 11, 2012

The Feast of Saint Hildegard

By in Art, Mysticism, Mystics, Spirituality

Today, September 17, 2012, is the first feast day for Saint Hildegard of Bingen, as a saint recognized universally within the Catholic Church. Hildegard passed away on this day in 1179. It took 833 years for it to become an “official” saint’s day in the Catholic Calendar. Pope Benedict XVI recognized Hildegard as a saint [...]

Read full story · Comments { 1 } · September 17, 2012
Older posts