Returning to Reality

By in Books, Reviews

My latest blog entry for the Huffington Post has been published; it’s called Would Thomas Merton Use an iPad? Contemplation, Technology and Discernment. Beneath the whimsical title, this post looks at a serious question: how the philosophy and spirituality of Thomas Merton might be used a compass point for considering ethical questions related to technology [...]

Read full story · Comments { 5 } · January 3, 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

One Great Mystic Speaks of Another

By in Contemplation, Mystics

Here is a video worth watching: an interview from 2007 in which Raimon Panikkar speaks about his knowledge of, and friendship with, the great Benedictine contemplative, Abhishiktananda. Panikkar was 88 years old when this video was filmed, and it’s a bit difficult to watch because his breathing was labored. But his mind was as sharp [...]

Read full story · Comments { 3 } · December 22, 2012

75 Books for Buddhist-Christian Dialogue

By in Spirituality

Are you interested in exploring the richness of dialogue and interspiritual practice between Christianity and Buddhism? If so, then here’s enough literature to keep you going for a while. Each of the seventy-five books on the following list has some sort of connection with both Christianity and Buddhism. Some of these titles are academic studies, [...]

Read full story · Comments { 9 } · December 21, 2012

Nine reasons why I enjoyed “The Hobbit”

By in movies

I took the day off today, and caught the morning showing of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at my local theater (where you can get in for five bucks at shows before 11 AM). I’ve been nervous about this film, not sure it could possibly live up to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, even with [...]

Read full story · Comments { 1 } · December 14, 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
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