Category: Uncategorized

Mysticism and Its Linguistic Companions

Mysticism and Its Linguistic Companions

O Lover, It was in my early twenties that I had my first substantive encounter with the thought of Paul Tillich (1886-1965). In the autumn of his passing I recall a class discussion exploring...

Ras Mohammed Revisited

Ras Mohammed Revisited

(8/1/23) O Lover, Yet again, how shall I hold in my awareness, as well as communicate, You—unnameable, undepictable, unimaginable? How can I assuage this itch, this draw, this propensity to ensnare You with language,...

Toolless in Transit

Toolless in Transit

(7/26/23) [“. . . the Spirit joins in to help our weaknesses; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Herself intercedes for us with groanings too deep...

Portal/Path/Portal . . .

Portal/Path/Portal . . .

(7/18/23) O Lover, For several years while living in Washington D.C. three decades ago I would begin each Wednesday with morning prayer and breakfast at the Discalced Carmelite friary. Befriended by a novice keen...

Awe as Mystérium (II)

Awe as Mystérium (II)

(7/12/23) [Rudolf Otto, The idea of the Holy (1917).] O Lover, In my previous post I sought to explore Dacher Keltner’s notion of “awe,” the experience of finding oneself in the presence of that...

Awe as Treméndum (I)

Awe as Treméndum (I)

(7/12/23) [Dacher Keltner, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life (2023).] O Lover, Of late bits of my lifespan have been converging around the rich theme of...

On Remaining “Christian”

On Remaining “Christian”

(6/20/23) [Brian McLaren, Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned (2022).] O Lover, Insofar as You already know me infinitely better than I am known by myself...

Just Inside the Edge

Just Inside the Edge

(6/13/23) O Lover, I have noted that Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM in his daily meditations tends to self-locate “on the edge of the inside.” Viewing this locus as optimal in terms of rootage and...

A View from Pinnacle Overlook

A View from Pinnacle Overlook

(5/30/23) [There are three criteria contributing to a contemplative natural setting: flowing water, mountainous terrain, and a long vista (Sanford Alwine [d. 2016]).] O Lover, It was a stunningly beautiful May day for Sharryl...