Carl McColman's Blog, page 59

My Wonderful Book Covers

European Architecture Graces the Design of Three of my Books

As an author (especially as aspiritualauthor), I always have to walk a fine line: the nature of marketing means I need to be promoting my books, but the natureof humility means that I may notbrag about them.At least, not about the text, which is to say, the content that I created.

But my books are more thanjustmy work. Every book represents the labor and creativity not only of the author, but of editors, proofreaders, salespeople, m...

Deeper into the Heart of Christ

Christian Spirituality: Seeing Every Moment of Life as an Invitation into the Sacred Heart

Christian spirituality: it’s about a new way of seeing.

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...

A Quick Word

Just Letting You Know What I'm Up To

Photo by Fran McColman

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 toThe 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 wa...

#1 on Amazon!

Befriending Silence tops "New Release in Christian Monasticism & Asceticism" Chart

Here’s a screen shot to prove it.

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 “#1New ReleaseinChristian Monasticism & Asceticism“!

Woo hoo!

My little book on Cistercian spirituality has topped several books by authors I admire (like Joan Chittis...

Nine Ways to Foster a Contemplative Church

Christianity Needs to Affirm Silent Prayer at the Congregational Level

Contemplation belongs in the neighborhood church

If you are the pastor of a church or parish, this post is for you. If you are not the pastor but are a member of a congregation, consider sharing this post with your pastor, especially if he or she is interested in silent prayer.

Karl Rahner, the renowned 20th century Jesuit theologian, once wrote “the Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist.” I interpret...

Thirteen Characteristics of Healthy Spirituality

Kenneth Leech's Manifesto for a Renewed Spirituality is More Relevant Than Ever

True God

Following the passing of Anglican contemplative theologian Kenneth Leech, I’ve been revisiting several of his books. In the back of his book True God: An Exploration in Spiritual Theology is Leech’s manifesto “Toward a Renewed Spirituality.” It’s an important statement that deserves wide consideration.

Ken offers thirteen points that he considers essential for the ongoing renewal of Christian spirituality...

Kenneth Leech (1939-2015)

One of the Great Contemplatives of Our Time Was Also a Prophet for God's Justice and Mercy

Kenneth Leech

I have learned of the passing of Father Kenneth Leech, who died on Saturday after a long illness.

He was born in 1939 and grew up in a secular home in the north of England. As a youth he met Alisdair MacIntyre (later famous for his renowned study of postmodern moral theory, After Virtue) and realized that it is possible to have a critical, inquiring mind while also a person of faith. He em...

The Fear of the Lord and the Love of God

God is a mystery, and our image of that mystery shapes our faith

Do you believe in Love? Or do you believe in fear?

As a young man growing up in the American south, I heard the phrase “God fearing” a lot. As in, “He’s a God fearing man.”

I think it comes from Psalm 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” or its near corollary, Proverbs 1:7: “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”

So someone who is “God fearing” is someone, presumably, with wisdom or knowledge: who...

Three Mystics You May Have Missed

Lesser Known — But Wonderful — Voices in the Contemplative Tradition

Jan Van Ruysbroeck (Ruusbroec), a mystic worth reading (image: public domain)

Walk into a Catholic bookstore — or a general bookstore large enough to have a “Christian mysticism” section—and you will see books by or about Thomas Merton, Julian of Norwich, John of the Cross, and Teresa of Avila, along with anonymous works likeThe Cloud of UnknowingorThe Way of a Pilgrim. These are the “A-List” mystics: figures who are renowne...

Seven Ways the Mystics Inspire Us Today

How the Spirituality of the Past will Craft the Christianity of the Future

Scott Boulevard Baptist Church, Decatur, GA; March 2015. Today this building no longer exists; it was demolished and the land will be developed for retail and/or residential use.

One of my favorite quotations comes from Karl Rahner: “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist.”

It’s aprophetic statement, from a man who died in 1984. When paired with the demographic realities of the last 30 years (Am...