Carl McColman's Blog, page 19

Mystical Minute II: The Book that Changed my Life

Here’s the second release in my new series of “Mystical Minute” videos. The topic of this one: “the book that changed my life.”

This is a brief introduction to Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill. After acknowledging that my first copy of the book (given to me by a friend when I was 18) has a hideously ugly cover, I briefly explain why this book matters to me — and why it might be a book that could change your life, too.

What I didn’t go into in the video: this book was also the inspiration of my boo...

I Love These Books with “Illuminated Manuscript” Cover Designs

Today’s post is just for fun. I was thinking this morning how much I love books that have cover art inspired by mediæval illuminated manuscript designs. So I decided to scan a few book covers from my library, and to grab a few tasty images from hither and yon online. I make no claim to own any of this art (if you’re the copyright holder and want attribution or want me to remove your image, please just let me know). I’m just posting these to appreciate their beauty… I hope you like them as well.

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Concerning Contemplative Charismatics and Ecumenical Priests (Answers to Reader Questions)

The same reader asked me both of the following questions, in two separate social media posts. but since they’re from the same person, I’m putting them together in this one post.

Questions Concerning Ordained Ministry

First, a question in response to Do I Have to be a Member of a Christian Church to be a Mystic? …

It’s interesting what you say about seminaries. I’m considering a possible call to enter the priesthood, but i just Dont know if I’ve got the time or desire to spend 6 or 7 years in a s...

“Eternal Heart” named one of the best spiritual books of 2021 by “Spirituality & Practice”!

Friends, just a quick note to share my excitement… I have just learned that Eternal Heart has been selected as one of the 50 best spiritual books of 2021 by the editors of the Spirituality and Practice website!

Other books to have received this honor include titles by Diana Butler Bass, Brené Brown, Cynthia Bourgeault, Joy Harjo, Valarie Kaur, James Martin, Brian D. McLaren, John Philip Newell, Christine Valters Paintner and Joyce Rupp! (Talk about feeling like I’ve been invited to sit at the ta...

Le Point Vierge

Cynthia Bourgeault’s latest book, just published this year, is a brief statement of her faith; the book is called The Corner of Fourth and Nondual. If you have been exploring contemplative Christian spirituality for any time now, you probably saw the pun in this title with no problem. But if not, no worries! Perhaps this post will shed some light for you.

“The Corner” that Bourgeault is referring to is a street corner in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. These days it’s the corner of South 4th Str...

Saving God from Religion: A Conversation with Robin Meyers

Last week I was invited to participate in a video sponsored by my good friends from North Georgia, Mountaintop Learning (formerly Mountaintop Lectures). Mountaintop used to host events twice a year when contemporary Christian thought leaders would come to North Georgia and give a lecture series. That program was a casualty of the pandemic, but in its place Mountaintop Learning has emerged as a new Youtube channel. Kicking off the program, last week we interviewed Dr. Robin Meyers, activist, pas...

The Christian of the Future — a New “Mystical Minute” Video for Contemplative Seekers

Friends, here is a new video I’d like to share with you. God willing, this will be the first of a series of videos I will be creating in the months to come.

This video, like all my online content, is funded through Patreon. When I set up my Patreon account, I set several goals: commitments for new content or new projects that I would undertake when the number of patrons supporting my work reached certain levels. One of those goals is a commitment to creating a new video and/or podcast each mont...

After the Fire: Finding God in Silence and Stillness

Like so many English-speaking Christians, I grew up immersed in the words and rhythms of the King James Version of the Holy Bible. So much of the language and lyricism of that 17th century translation of scripture has become integral parts of our cultural lexicon. Like the smart-aleck who said he refuses to read Shakespeare’s plays because they were filled with clichés, we can sometimes be startled and surprised by the sheer cultural familiarity of phrase after phrase of the KJV — “Let there be ...

The Contemplative Life in Three Easy Steps

Origen of Alexandria came up with the idea first.

Unless you’re a Christian history geek, chances are you’ve never heard of Origen. He lived in Egypt from about 185 to 253—meaning he was a third-century Christian, who died sixty years before Constantine decriminalized the faith. In other words, he lived long before the desert fathers and mothers, before the rise of Christian monasticism, before what we now know as “Christian mysticism” or “contemplative spirituality” really took shape. Indeed, O...

In Case You Missed It — Here’s a Recording of the Launch of “The Contemplative Study of Mystical Writings”

Over 100 people came out to join me in an exploration of my new initiative, an online course, which I hope will be the first of a series I’m calling The Contemplative Study of Mystical Writings. Here’s a recording of that meeting, see below. And if you want to learn more about the course, click here.