In recent years, I’ve talked to a number of people who describe their spiritual journey as going through a period of “deconstruction.” These “deconstructors” are usually younger folks, in their…
Category: Contemplation
Four Dimensions of Mindfulness, Brainwaves and Centering Prayer
In chapter five of his book Buddha Is as Buddha Does, dharma teacher Lama Surya Das offers this fascinating insight into the nature of mindfulness: According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition,…
I Believe Prayer Changes Things. Here’s a Few Thoughts Why.
I posted this on Facebook not long ago… A couple of people posted comments to the effect of “Please say more about how prayer changes things.” That’s a great question…
You don’t have to become a monk to be a mystic
A reader wrote to me recently: Hello, I am interested in becoming a Christian Mystic. However I am not sure if I can join a monastery due to being a…
Two Books that Shaped My Spiritual Path
Two of the most meaningful books I’ve ever read are Evelyn Underhill’s Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness and Thich Nhat Hanh’s Living Buddha Living Christ. I…
Contemplating How the Sausage is Made
Twice in recent days I’ve had conversations with people in ministry about their spiritual life, and the idiomatic phrase “seeing how the sausage is made” got used. Here’s a (paraphrased)…
From “Orthodox” to “Open” — Some Personal Thoughts on How Faith Can Evolve Over Time
A reader of this blog sent me the following question: Hi Carl, I’ve been reading quite a bit of your blog. It seems like back around 2016-2017, you were making…
Spiritual Practices, Traumatic Shame, and Holy Freedom
Recently I read Laura E. Anderson’s When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion. Anderson, a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and herself a survivor of…
The God who is Love and the Death of Christ: A Contemplative Reflection
Allen, who is a reader of this blog, recently sent me a thoughtful email; here are some excerpts from what he wrote: I have a profound connection with the teachings…
Julian of Norwich and the Non-binary God
In the middle ages — 1373, to be exact — an obscure English woman got sick, and while she was ill, experienced visions of God, Christ, Mary, and heaven. We know…
The Difference Between Apophatic and Kataphatic Spirituality
Many years ago, my very first spiritual director recommended a book to me; she suggested that I read Gerald May’s 1982 classic: Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology. I did,…
From Mythology to Mysticism: A New Way to Think About Lectio Divina
If you have been reading this blog (or participating in Christian contemplative practices) for a while, no doubt you are familiar with Lectio Divina. If not, you can see a…