Fr. Karl Rahner, SJ famously said, “The Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist.” If we turn that inside out, it’s both a challenge and a promise: The wisdom of the mystics is necessary for a living faith, and it is also the key to an ongoing vibrant spiritual life....
I'm so excited to be returning to the Wild Goose Festival in Union Grove, NC (north of Charlotte) for a day-long event called "Wisdom Camp: Radical Mysticism." I'm co-facilitating this program along with Debonee Morgan, the executive director of Zeitgeist Atlanta, a ministry for the spiritually independent. See below to learn more about Wisdom Camp,...
I’m honored to share that I’ll be speaking at the 2025 Contemplative Summit — a free online gathering bringing together over 40 wisdom teachers from across contemplative traditions. From September 25–28, thousands of us from around the globe will be exploring this year’s theme: The Spacious Heart: Holding Suffering with Love We’ll be joined by...
Read the Bible Like a Mystic: Exploring the Contemplative Dimension of Scripture October 24-25, 2025 Friday 7:00 p.m. to Saturday 4:00 p.m. (ET) Presenter: Carl McColman The Bible is a difficult book. Written thousands of years ago, in a culture radically unlike our own, it is revered as sacred. But many people – Christians and...
Contemplative Outreach Atlanta and St. Patrick's Episcopal Church (Dunwoody GA) are co-sponsoring this retreat day which combines Centering Prayer practice with communal reflection on living a contemplative life in these times. Read on to learn more about the event, and/or click here to register. The Healing of our Hearts — and our World Centering...
Christian Contemplative Experience Overnight Retreat November 21-23, 2025 Friday 3:00 p.m. to Sunday 12:00 p.m. (ET) Theme: Reading the Bible Like a Mystic Presenter: Carl McColman Can the Bible still be used as a source of spiritual enrichment? Some consider the text as a sexist relic of the past or worse, as something weaponized in...
I’ll be speaking at three different churches on the big island of Hawaiʻi during my visit there in Advent 2025! On the weekend of November 29-30, we’ll celebrate the beginning of Advent by exploring the themes of "waking up" and "keeping watch" — which is a bit ironic, considering that I will probably be seriously...
I’ll be speaking at three different churches on the big island of Hawaiʻi during my visit there in Advent 2025! On the weekend of November 29-30, we’ll celebrate the beginning of Advent by exploring the themes of "waking up" and "keeping watch" — which is a bit ironic, considering that I will probably be seriously...
Friends on the big island of Hawai'i! Please join with me and the congregations of St. James' and St. Columba's Episcopal Churches for a special 3-week program for Advent reflection and prayer. Our theme is "Contemplative Wisdom and the Word." I'll be drawing on material from my most recent book, Read the Bible Like a Mystic,...
For the second Sunday of Advent I’ll be visiting St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Kapa’au, also on the big island. I’ll be joining the St. Augustine’s Community at their 10:30 AM adult education hour to reflect on the gifts of Advent — and how this season is so conducive for a contemplative (mystical) approach to...
Invite Carl to speak to your community: Book an Event.