Julian of Norwich, a fourteenth century mystic, is surprisingly relevant to our time: she lived through political turmoil, religious conflict, and multiple outbreaks of the bubonic plague. Through it all, she retained a spirituality powerful in its optimism, trust, and joy in God. She has much to teach us about the nature of Divine Love,...
This event has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is possible that this event may be offered at a future date or in an online form. Please visit this website again for updated information as it becomes available. I'll be returning to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA to lead...
I've offered this course on the spirituality of the Christian Mystics several times through Columbia Seminary's Center for Lifelong Learning. We're adapting it to an online format and are pleased to make this available in this way. We will draw on the wisdom and insight of the mystics themselves, and reflect on how their visionary...
This event has been moved to online. Please register to join us on Zoom. It's become an annual tradition! Every fall I co-facilitate this retreat with Brother Elias, the author of Tears of an Innocent God. This year, we've moved the dates back to January, and we'll be online, so hope you can join us! Wisdom...
I'll be returning to one of my favorite monasteries — Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY, just north of Poughkeepsie — for a weekend retreat this spring on the topic of "Practical Mysticism: Contemplative Spirituality for a Joyful Life." The 20th century theologian Karl Rahner famously said “The Christian of the future will be...
I’m returning to the beautiful Mepkin Trappist Abbey in South Carolina for a four-night retreat on the spiritual wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh and Thomas Merton. We'll take a deep dive into Thich Nhat Hanh's modern classic Living Buddha, Living Christ, as well as Merton's writings that affirm the wisdom of Buddhist-Christian interfaith spirituality. For...
Celebrating the Common Ground Between Christianity and Zen Thomas Merton famously said that he saw no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity. While that may be difficult to reconcile with the obvious doctrinal differences between the two faiths, on the level of spiritual practice and compassionate presence it is easy to see many points of connection...
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