Best Center for Action and Contemplation Podcasts (2024)

151
Reduced to the Scale of Our Competence 4:55

2h ago4:55

4:55

A musing on limitationsBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
Amnesia and the Big Picture With Michael Battle 1:31:48

10h ago1:31:48

1:31:48

What if heaven and hell were both present—right now? In this episode, we're joined by The Very Rev. Michael Battle as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 8: "Amnesia and the Big Picture." In this episode, we explore the suffering we experience when we believe we’re separated from God and how this chapter, “…

1
The Way of a Pilgrim: Session 3 43:05

2h ago43:05

43:05

This is the third session that focuses on the 19th-century anonymous text, The Way of a Pilgrim. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with passages from The Way of a Pilgrim, reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice. Resources: Turning to the Mystic…

1
Consecrating Chaos With Rev. Otis Moss III 58:09

5h ago58:09

58:09

How can we cultivate resilience and hope, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges and ongoing chaos? In this episode Dr. Barbara Holmes and Dr. Donny Bryant talk with Rev. Otis Moss III about Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times, and how we can build resilience by consecrating chaos through pro…

1
Seeing Nature as a Scientist (Part 1) With Paul Wallace 43:13

26m ago43:13

43:13

Can we look at nature with both wonder and a scientist's eye? In this episode, we're learning how to see nature from the perspective of a scientist. In Part 1, Author and professor Paul Wallace joins Brian to explore the intersection of science and spirituality in the natural world. Together, they discuss the awe-inspiring scale of the universe, th…

1
Home and Homesickness With James Finley 1:22:51

1d ago1:22:51

1:22:51

What if we could feel at home wherever we are? In this episode, we're joined by James Finley as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 7: "Home and Homesickness." In this episode, we discuss a lifelong exploration of contemplation, healing, and facing the challenges of our times through a lens of love and find…

1
Dialogue 2: The Teacher Arrives 58:54

4d ago58:54

58:54

This is the second dialogue session that focuses on the 19th-century mystical text, The Way of a Pilgrim, which covers sections of the first chapter. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about James Finley, visit his faculty profile at the Center for Action and Contemplation here. …

1
Eat the Wild Thing 5:48

7d ago5:48

5:48

A musing on wild things and ingesting GodBy Paul Swanson | Contemplative Shoveler

1
Seeing Nature as a Child (Wonder) 48:59

7d ago48:59

48:59

What can children teach us about loving nature? In the first episode of season 6, three of Brian’s grandchildren — Ella, Ada, and Lucas — drop by to talk about how to take responsibility and care for the planet. In this conversation, we see the from the perspective of a child as three of Brian's grandchildren highlight the impact of climate change …

1
Introducing: Learning How to See "Nature" 6:55

8d ago6:55

6:55

Welcome to the sixth season of Learning How to See which focuses on learning how to see nature in a new way. In this season, we'll look at nature through the lens of a child, a scientist, a lover, a doctor, a seeker, and a gardener. The goal is to develop a deeper connection and appreciation for the natural world. We need to see every tree and ston…

1
Necessary Suffering With Mirabai Starr 1:25:50

9d ago1:25:50

1:25:50

What if the goal of the spiritual journey is to understand suffering? In this episode, we're joined by Mirabai Starr as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 6: "Necessary Suffering." This episode explores how loss, suffering, and grief can be a transformative spiritual path, leading to deeper connection with…

1
The Way of a Pilgrim: Session 2 44:04

11d ago44:04

44:04

This is the second session that focuses on the 19th-century anonymous text, The Way of a Pilgrim. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with passages from The Way of a Pilgrim, reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice. Resources: Turning to the Mysti…

1
Stumbling Over the Stumbling Stone With Paula D'Arcy 1:26:07

15d ago1:26:07

1:26:07

How do we meet life on its terms instead of ours? In this episode, we're joined by Paula D'Arcy as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 5: "Stumbling Over the Stumbling Stone." We're exploring what it can look like to venture into the luminous dark to find our greatest gifts with a chapter that asks us to le…

1
Dialogue 1: The Journey Begins 51:26

19d ago51:26

51:26

This is the first dialogue session that focuses on the 19th-century mystical text, The Way of a Pilgrim, which covers sections of the first chapter. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about James Finley, visit his faculty profile at the Center for Action and Contemplation here. T…

1
The Tragic Sense of Life With Kate Bowler 1:36:53

24d ago1:36:53

1:36:53

In this episode, we're joined by Kate Bowler, PhD. as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 4: "The Tragic Sense of Life." Kate, along with Richard and CAC staff delve into the flaws of the prosperity gospel as well as the importance of finding meaning in suffering. We explore the ways in which love and suffe…

1
The Way of a Pilgrim: Session 1 43:09

26d ago43:09

43:09

This is the first session that focuses on the 19th-century anonymous text, The Way of a Pilgrim. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with passages from The Way of a Pilgrim, reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice. Resources: Turning to the Mystic…

1
The First Half of Life With Erin Sanzero 1:25:33

1M ago1:25:33

1:25:33

"God gives us something better than answers, God gives us people." - Erin Sanzero, our guest today, on the path of falling upward during the first half of life. In this episode, we're joined by Erin Sanzero as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration of Falling Upward with Chapter 3: "The First Half of Life." Erin, alongside CAC staff, explor…

1
Turning to The Way of a Pilgrim 40:14

1M ago40:14

40:14

Welcome to Season 9 of Turning to the Mystics. This season we are turning toThe Way of a Pilgrim for spiritual guidance, a 19th-century account of a pilgrim's journey towards unceasing prayer through the practice of the Jesus Prayer. In this episode, James Finley and Kirsten Oates explain the significance of the anonymous author and the practice of…

1
The Hero and Heroine's Journey With Kirsten Oates and Patrick Boland 1:28:42

1M ago1:28:42

1:28:42

What if loss invited us on a voyage? In this episode, we're joined by Kirsten Oates and Patrick Boland as we continue our chapter-by-chapter exploration with Chapter 2: "The Hero and Heroine's Journey." Patrick Boland and Kirsten Oates, cohost of our sister podcast, Turning to the Mystics, join CAC staff, for a heartfelt conversation. Together, the…

1
The Two Halves of Life With Brené Brown 1:18:19

2M ago1:18:19

1:18:19

Welcome to the first episode of Everything Belongs, a new season covering the work of Richard Rohr’s newly revised version of Falling Upward. In this episode, we're joined by Brenè Brown to kick off our chapter-by-chapter exploration, starting with Chapter 1: "The Two Halves of Life." Together, with Richard Rohr and CAC Staff, they explore the conc…

1
Lo-Fi & Hushed / 2023 Winter Solstice Session / To Know the Dark 32:45

4M ago32:45

32:45

Each solstice and equinox Contemplify offers a public Lo-Fi & Hushed contemplative practice session for both free and supporting subscribers of the Non-Required Reading List. For those interested, go tell it on the mountain… The third week of Advent salted on joy. Not because of the circumstances, but despite them. The work remains to create the co…

1
Mechthild of Magdeburg: Listener Questions (Part 2) 1:01:56

5M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

Welcome to the listener questions series from our sessions on Mechthild of Magdeburg. Due to the volume of questions this season, we have decided to make two episodes dedicated to listener questions. This is the last of the two episodes on Mechthild of Magdeburg. In this episode, Jim Finley and Kirsten Oates reflect on listener questions about Mech…

1
Listen to the Rice, the Rice Will Teach You Everything with Lucien Miller 37:32

5M ago37:32

37:32

"Oshida’s life and legacy is an experience of the spiritual senses knowing the mystical voice. Biblical in sources and Buddhist in form, reading this book took me as a reader to the great pause of silence." — Sister Meg Funk, OSB Lucien Miller received his PhD in comparative literature from Berkely and taught Comparative Literature and Chinese at t…

1
Mechthild of Magdeburg: Listener Questions (Part 1) 56:10

5M ago56:10

56:10

Welcome to the listener questions series from our sessions on Mechthild of Magdeburg. Due to the volume of questions this season, we have decided to make two episodes dedicated to listener questions. This is the first of two on Mechthild of Magdeburg. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. Join us December 7 - 10, 2023 for Tu…

1
The Seventh Story 32:48

5M ago32:48

32:48

What if we could reimagine the future of storytelling? In the last episode of Season 5 of Learning How to See, join in the conversation about how to create a new kind of space in which we can all participate in shifting our world towards greater Love and justice. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. To learn more about Gare…

1
Tips for the Road 1:38:09

5M ago1:38:09

1:38:09

"Maybe we should just call this book Tips for the Road, a sort of roadside assistance program." - Richard Rohr, Falling Upward, pg. xv Introduction In the final episode of this mini-series, we are giving you a test drive for how an episode will look and feel, with the commentary and banter of the architects behind it from a production and pedagogic…

1
Accumulation Stories 27:54

5M ago27:54

27:54

How do you embrace the wisdom of letting go? In this episode, Brian and Gareth explore the power of sharing to explore the Accumulation Story, a justification of our human need to hold onto things, people, and circumstances. Gareth explains: “This is a story about money and fear. It's a story about being possessed by things rather than enjoying and…

1
The Contemplative Laboratory 1:16:16

5M ago1:16:16

1:16:16

In this episode, we distill Richard Rohr's teaching philosophy into three animating questions: What do we want to know? How do we want to grow? How do we want to show up in our lives and in the world? These questions serve as foundational guides for embodying incarnational mysticism in our own unique contexts. Join us in Richard's living room as Mi…

1
Victimization Stories 33:12

6M ago33:12

33:12

How do you tell the story of a time you have been wronged or betrayed? Many of us experience victimization. But when does "victim" become an outdated part of our identity? Brian McLaren offers us: “If victims allow themselves to take an offramp from their victimizing stories, they embrace another way to define their lives.” We're continuing forward…

1
In Hard Times, In All Times, Eat Sacred Words 33:23

5M ago33:23

33:23

"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves." — 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an author, teacher, poet, and award-winning translator of spiritual texts. Today Carmen and I talk …

1
Teachers and Students 1:22:06

6M ago1:22:06

1:22:06

What is the role of teachers and students on the spiritual path? In this episode, we explore Richard Rohr's evolving role as a spiritual teacher at the CAC, as he gracefully steps back to join the Core Faculty. With Opie by his side and church bells ringing, Richard's infectious smile sets the tone for a conversation that connects us all in the spi…

1
Bonus: Bernard McGinn on Mechthild, Eckhart, and Mysticism 1:08:18

6M ago1:08:18

1:08:18

On this special bonus episode, James Finley and Kirsten Oates interview Dr. Bernard McGinn about Christian mysticism and how Cristian mystics guide us in living faithfully to the mystical dimensions of God's presence. They also discuss the distinctive approaches of Christian mystics Meister Eckhart and Mechthild of Magdeburg and how their teachings…

1
Isolation Stories 39:08

6M ago39:08

39:08

“To be fully in the world is to believe that we can love other people and places more than we fear them.” –Gareth Higgins Have you convinced yourself that you are better off alone? Today we're exploring the dynamics of the Isolation Story — the belief that we can avoid pain by avoiding others. As Gareth Higgins explains, “While it may not be physic…

1
The Transformative Power of Love with Tiq Milan 38:42

6M ago38:42

38:42

What if your deepest identity came from God? On this episode, writer and thought leader Tiq Milan joins Jacqui to discuss the transformative power of Love—particularly when we offer it freely and generously to our LGBTQ friends and family. He offers: "My transness and my queerness make me closer to God. It's my gift. I feel present in this life bec…

1
The Future of the Work 1:11:11

6M ago1:11:11

1:11:11

Our introductory mini-series continues! Episode two finds us back in Richard’s living room, picking up where we left off and widening the conversation to Richard’s transition from the teacher in the spotlight at the CAC to joining the circle of teachers and a staff being empowered to carry these teachings forward alongside all of you listening. We …

1
Purification Stories 43:25

6M ago43:25

43:25

“Almost everybody who does evil has convinced themselves that they are doing good.” —Brian McLaren Have you ever convinced yourself that an unloving act was justified? In this episode, we're asking ourselves the tough questions and peeling back the layers of the Purification Story — a narrative with complex dynamics that can lead us to harmful inte…

1
Kim Haines-Eitzen on Practicing the Cello in the Dark and Sonorous Deserts 58:41

6M ago58:41

58:41

Dr. Kim Haines-Eitzen is a Professor of Religious Studies with specialties in Early Christianity, Early Judaism, and other ancient Mediterranean Religions at Cornell University. Her book Sonorous Desert: What Deep Listening Taught Early Christian Monks—and What It Can Teach Us explores the dynamic relationships between ambient environmental landsca…

1
Catching Up with Richard Rohr 53:23

6M ago53:23

53:23

Everything Belongs is a show about living the teachings of Richard Rohr forward, co-creating a world where everyone and everything belongs. On future seasons, we'll be making our way through Richard's major teachings. But in this inaugural mini-series, we're focusing on laying the foundations for those seasons by catching up with Richard and variou…

1
Coaching Session: May God Bind Us All 35:15

6M ago35:15

35:15

In this special episode, Jim and Kirsten review the season and offer a way for us to turn to Mechthild for guidance on our own spiritual path. To help you participate, we have provided the worksheet in the Resource Section below. Resource Section: A transcript for this episode can be found here. The worksheet for this episode can be found here. The…

1
Revolution Stories 38:13

6M ago38:13

38:13

“If you want a better world, tell a better story — especially one that centers justice without vengeance.” –Gareth Higgins How do we tell stories that offer us the best chance of creating a more peaceful and loving reality? In this episode of Learning How to See, we're exploring stories of revolution. Although these tales often contain values of he…

1
Dialogue 3: A Love That Binds 1:11:27

6M ago1:11:27

1:11:27

This is the third dialogue session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. James Finley and Kirsten Oates talk about the third session which focused on passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. The book we will be using this season,…

1
Domination Stories 49:56

6M ago49:56

49:56

“Stories shape our reality, whether they are true or not.” —Gareth Higgins What if you told the story of your life differently? Explore the powerful influence of stories in shaping our experiences in the newest season of Learning How to See with Brian McLaren and Gareth Higgins. In this episode, we explore the Domination Story, a way of understandi…

1
Lerita Coleman Brown on Waiting for a Word in the Heart 58:06

6M ago58:06

58:06

"I highly recommend What Makes You Come Alive to churches, religious and educational institutions, and spiritual seekers everywhere who are looking for an inward journey that finds its home in the world of nature, people, and things." — Walter Earl Fluker - Editor and Director of the Howard Thurman Papers Project Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown is a retre…

1
Mechthild of Magdeburg: Session 3 45:08

6M ago45:08

45:08

This is the third session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead, reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice. R…

1
An Introduction to Seven Stories 43:23

7M ago43:23

43:23

“Becoming conscious of the stories we’re telling can be lifesaving to individuals and entire cultures.”—Gareth Higgins How do you recount life’s biggest triumphs and failures? What about your deepest loves and biggest betrayals? In this season, we'll be exploring the power of storytelling to help create a more just and loving world. This season, Br…

1
Dialogue 2: A Loving Exchange 1:02:08

7M ago1:02:08

1:02:08

This is the second dialogue session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. James Finley and Kirsten Oates talk about the second session which focused on passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead. Resources: The transcript for this episode can be found here. The book we will be using this seaso…

1
Lo-Fi & Hushed Contemplative Practice Session (September 2023 / Autumn Equinox) 31:31

7M ago31:31

31:31

Lo-Fi & Hushed is weekly space for the contemplative practice of lectio divina with poetry. This practice is graceful, transformative, and subdued. Lo-Fi & Hushed is available worldwide, on Riverside livestream, and you can participate from the hallows of your own home. “I do not complain of suffering for love, it becomes me always to submit to her…

1
On Repentance and Repair with Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg 48:04

7M ago48:04

48:04

What can we do today to prevent a bit more suffering for those around us? An award-winning writer who serves as Scholar in Residence at the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg joins Jacqui for the latest episode of Love Period, to discuss healing work that is happening around us even amid chaos and uncertainty. She offer…

1
Mechthild of Magdeburg: Session 2 53:11

7M ago53:11

53:11

This is the second session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead, reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice. …

1
Does Your Work Fulfill Your Spiritual Purpose? with Majora Carter 45:59

7M ago45:59

45:59

Does your work fulfill your spiritual purpose? On this episode of Love Period, Majora Carter joins Jacqui to help us understand what it means to be inspired to create a professional life that is fueled by spiritual principles. As a real-estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant and MacArthur Fellow, Majora Carter’s thriving profess…

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