Carl McColman's Blog, page 48
December 6, 2018
Rebecca Bratten Weiss: Silence, Feminism, and Literature (Episode 42)
This week’s episode marks the one-year anniversary of Encountering Silence! Our pilot episode was released a year ago today. It seems appropriate, therefore, that on this first-year anniversary, we release an episode that marks a new “first” for us. Not only is it the first time we’ve interviewed Catholic author, philosopher and feminist Rebecca Bratten … Continue reading Rebecca Bratten Weiss: Silence, Feminism, and Literature (Episode 42) → … Read more at Encountering Silence
December 4, 2018
Are Art and Mysticism Two Sides of the Same Coin?
I’ve been thinking about the relationship between contemplation and creativity. This is inspired in part by the many contemplatives who are also artists. We see this in the past — think of William Blake, or Johann Sebastian Bach, or of course poets like John of the Cross and Thomas Merton. It often seems that a […]
November 30, 2018
Dear Listeners, Help Us Spread the Word About Silence!
We live in a world that is getting noisier and noisier. More and more people recognize that we need silence, not only for our spiritual well-being, but for psychological, creative, and even physical wellness. But for many of us, silence is elusive. We struggle with noise — both outside and within. And many of us … Continue reading Dear Listeners, Help Us Spread the Word About Silence! → … Read more at Encountering Silence
November 29, 2018
An Ocean of Light — Martin Laird’s Must-Read New Book on Contemplation
Rejoice, my friends. The author who is arguably our most eloquent and learned living authority on Christian contemplation — at least in the western church — has released a new book. And it’s a gem. Martin Laird’s An Ocean of Light: Contemplation, Transformation and Liberation combines the author’s lyrical, accessible writing, along with his scholarly […]
November 28, 2018
David Cole: Celtic Mysticism and Silence (Episode 41)
How does silence impact the rhythms of our lives — including the rhythm of prayer? How can we invite silence into our lives, in both structured and unstructured ways? Joining us to explore questions like these — from the New Forest of England — is the award-winning author, teacher and spiritual guide David Cole. Intentional … Continue reading David Cole: Celtic Mysticism and Silence (Episode 41) → … Read more at Encountering Silence
November 27, 2018
Seven Contemplative Artists/Creators Who Deserve Your Support via Patreon
Like many bloggers and other creatives, I rely on Patreon to fund my blog. Patreon is a crowdfunding website which allows people to support artists and other creatives whose work they love. But since today is “Giving Tuesday,” I’d like to talk about some other creators on Patreon who I think you might want to support. Since […]
November 26, 2018
Three Wonderful Julian of Norwich Books
I’m not sure why the fall of 2013 belonged to Julian of Norwich (except to the extent that any time is a good time for reading and reflecting on Julian’s wisdom). What I do know is that three wonderful books about Julian were published that fall. If you’re already a Julian nut (yes, that’s a […]
November 21, 2018
Devotional Reading for the Three Celtic Lents
Previously I have written about how, in ancient times, Celtic monks observed three “Lents” — which is to say, three forty-day periods of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice, in preparation for three sacred moments in the year: The actual season of Lent (forty days prior to Easter) A summertime “Lent” (forty days prior to the Feast […]
November 15, 2018
If Mystical Christianity is Shamanistic, then the Divine Office is the Drum
For years, I have thought that one of the best ways to understand Christian spirituality is by the study of shamanistic forms of spirituality and religion, typically found among indigenous cultures the world over. Wikipedia defines shamanism as “reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with what [shamans] believe to be […]
November 13, 2018
God is Love — and Love is a Story
If the 1959 plane crash which claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens marked “the day the music died” — as Don McLean put it — then I think we could make a case for November 12, 2018 being the day the stories died. For this was the day we […]
