Carl McColman's Blog, page 69

A Modest Proposal (and a question for folks who live near Decatur, Georgia)

Photo by Fran McColman

If you have known me for a while, you know that for almost two years I was involved in a “Christian Mysticism Meetup” group that met every Wednesday night at a church in the Atlanta suburbs. At first we had lots of energy: 20 – 25 people attending each night; but eventually the group withered down to maybe 5 people or so showing up at a time. As I began to have conflicts on the night when the group met (Wednesdays) I let the group go, and that was the end of it. But I to...

How the Understanding of Christian Contemplation has Changed: Carole Crumley interviews Tilden Edwards and Richard Rohr

Here is a must-watch video — Carole Crumley of the Shalem Institute interviews two of the “elder statesmen” of the contemporary contemplative movement: Tilden Edwards (the founder of Shalem) and Richard Rohr of the Center for Action and Contemplation. The video was produced as part of the Shalem’s observance of its 40th anniversary, and the topic these three consider is how the understanding of Christian contemplation has changed over the past four decades. Enjoy…

Audiobook News and a Contemplative Feather

Now available as an audiobook!

First of all, forgive me for putting on my marketing hat: I’m excited to announce that my book,The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, has now been released as an unabridged Audible.com audiobook! If you are an Audible.com subscriber, I hope you’ll consider adding this book to your collection. If you aren’t an Audible subscriber, you can purchase the audio version of the book for about the same price as the paperback. Audible audiobooks are downloaded, thus saving t...

The Evelyn Underhill Rosary

The Letters of Evelyn Underhill (1943)

I’ve just finished reading The Letters of Evelyn Underhill (which were published in 1943 and edited by Charles Williams). It’s such a wonderful book; I think anyone who is a spiritual director (or who sees a spiritual director), spiritual companion, or soul friend, would find much to treasure in this collection. Although the collection includes its share of love letters to her husband, “wish you were here” descriptions of her many holidays in Europe, and...

“Does anyone read Thomas Merton any more?”

Thomas Merton: Selected Essays

Yesterday I received a review copy of a beautiful new book: The Selected Essays of Thomas Merton, edited by Patrick F. O’Connell. This newly published anthology from Orbis Books includes thirty-three essays on a wide range of topics. I am confident that anyone who loves Merton, poetry, or contemplation will find much to savor here. Merely glancing at the table of contents is enough to make this reader practically salivate: with topics ranging from St. John of the...

On Being a Lay Cistercian

Receiving a medal from the monks after making my Lay Cistercian Life Promises, May 2012.

“Are you a monk?”

I get asked that question a lot, especially when I’m at the monastery where I work and pray and lead retreats. Perhaps it’s because of my greying hair and scruffy beard. Whatever the reason, I always see it as a compliment, but of course, I’m not a monk. So I say, “No, I’m not; I’m what is called a Lay Cistercian.”

“What’s that?” is the inevitable follow-up question.

“I’m a layperson, like a...

Three Video Clips: Speaking of Mysticism in Portland, OR

Here are three brief excerpts from a talk I gave in Portland, OR, in October 2010 on the topic of Christian mysticism. They were filmed and produced by Cathy Zheutlin of Holy Rascals — a media company that produces videos and webinars for the spiritually adventurous. In the first one, I tell an amusing story of one of my monastic mentors, Father Anthony, who gave me some grief about the difficulty of defining the word “mysticism”…

So in this next video, I offer less of a “definition” of mystic...

Two New Reference Books For You (or Your Library)

Mysticism — whether Christian mysticism, or comparative (world) mysticism — is a vast subject, one to which you could easily devote your life without any fear of ever mastering (or exhausting) the literature associated with it. Recently two books have crossed my desk that should prove to be invaluable for anyone seeking to study mysticism on a scholarly level. But first, a word of warning: these books are priced for library or textbook sales, and so they are not cheap! If you’re on a budget,...

Benedictine Spirituality and the Community of Hope

Community of Hope Logo

On April 20 I had the privilege of speaking to the Southeast Regional Conference of the Community of Hope International, an ecumenical organization of Christians whose mission is “to create and sustain Christian communities of volunteer lay pastoral caregivers around the world.” Their mission statement goes on to say, “We are united in prayer, shaped by Benedictine spirituality and equipped for and serving in pastoral care ministries.” I was invited to speak on the Bened...

Does God = Consciousness?

1960s Paperback Edition of “Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander”

A reader writes…

Carl, I am a theoretical physicist by training and have struggled with the idea of supernatural concepts like God. Even so, contemplation has increased my sense of God being part of me, which I like very much. So here is my question: Do you think it is too radical to say God IS your consciousness? After all, Jesus said, “The Father and I are one.” Personally, it seems wonderful to have such awareness of God 24/7. Si...