About ten years ago I had a conversation with an elderly Trappist monk about the book I was writing — a book on Christian mysticism. Hearing that it was intended to…
Tag: Christian mysticism
How to Find a Mystical Teacher, Part Two
This post is a sequel to my post from last week called How to Find a Mystical Teacher. The person who originally wrote to me, responding to that post, in…
How to Find a Mystical Teacher
A reader sent me this message the other day: I am loving your book, Christian Mystics, as I read it. I, myself, am tending to that life, and I have…
The Dazzling Darkness
“There is in God (some say) A deep, but dazzling darkness” — Henry Vaughan “Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” — Isaiah…
Speaking of Mysticism: Three Video Clips Filmed in Portland, Oregon
Here are three brief excerpts from a talk I gave in Portland, OR, in October 2010 on the topic of Christian mysticism. These videos were produced by Cathy Zheutlin who…
Praying with St. John of the Cross
A friend of mine suggested I read Wayne Simsic’s Seeking the Beloved: A Prayer Journey with St. John of the Cross, offering the book pretty high praise: “I never ‘got’…
Nonduality in the Bible … and us
A reader writes: I love reading your articles but am new to the terminology. What is “non-dualism” and is it compatible with Biblical truth? Also, why did non-dualism get marginalised? Great questions,…
Thoughts about Mysticism from 1953… and now
Here’s something interesting I stumbled across online the other day: an article from Time Magazine’s February 2, 1953 issue: Religion: Benedictine v. Trappist It’s basically an article about a Benedictine…
What Mystics Do (and You Can, Too)
What do mystics do? The following list can be a way to begin answering this question. I’m not suggesting that every mystic does everything on this list (for starters, this…
"An enlightened power of reason and a love common to all"
John Ruusbroec (1293-1381) is one of the greatest of the Christian mystics. His masterpiece, The Spiritual Espousals (sometimes translated as The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage) in my opinion belongs…
Tessa Bielecki’s Recommended Reading for Growing in Intimacy with Christ
In her CD teaching series Wild at Heart: Radical Teachings of the Christian Mystics, former-Carmelite-turned-desert hermit Tessa Bielecki offers a wealth of suggestions of books one can read to deepen…
Everything you always wanted to know about Christian mysticism (but were afraid to ask)
Hey you! Yes, that’s right… you, the person reading these words right now. I need your help. Don’t go away — please read this post and take a moment to…