Turning to the Mystics with James Finley

In this episode, Jim and Kirsten answer questions that were submitted by the listeners during the airing of the 3rd season. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org  The transcript for this episode can be found here. The book being used for this season can be found here. Connect with us: We also produc...

This is the sixth dialogue that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In this episode, Jim and Kirsten discuss Session 7, which covered The Spiritual Canticle. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org  The transcript for this episode can be found here. The book being used for this season can be...

This is the seventh session that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. With this episode, Jim turns to St. John of the Cross's work on The Spiritual Canticle and The Living Flame of Love, moving us from The Dark Night to the mystical union with God that blossoms in this "night" as it comes to fruition. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplatio...

This is the fifth dialogue that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In this episode, Jim and Kirsten discuss Session 6, which covered Thomas Merton's The Inner Experience as a means of introducing us to the mystical awakening that emerges out of the dark night, and the oneness or union that comes with infused contemplation. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for...

This is the sixth session that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. With this episode, Jim turns back to Thomas Merton's book, The Inner Experience, to summarize his own understanding of The Dark Night and begins to move us towards St. John of the Cross's work on The Spiritual Canticle and The Living Flame of Love. Through these works, he will introduce us to the mystical awakening that e...

In this bonus episode, Jim concludes the section on The Dark Night by reflecting on it using two key passages from the text. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org  The transcript for this episode can be found here. The book being used for this season can be found here. (Currently, there are issues w...

This is the fourth dialogue that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In this episode, Jim and Kirsten discuss Session 5, which covered The Dark Night. Next week, we'll release a bonus talk on the Dark Night with Jim looking at it through two passages. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org ...

This is the fifth session that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. With this episode, Jim turns to his work on The Dark Night. In this episode, Jim explores the question, "How does a person in today’s world try to understand the ‘dark night’?" Using committed love relationships as the metaphor; Jim explores The Dark Night through the luminosity of falling in love. He then explains how ‘d...

This is the third dialogue that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In this episode, Jim and Kirsten discuss Session 4, which covered The Ascent of Mount Carmel. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org  The transcript for this episode can be found here. The book being used for this season ca...

This is the fourth session that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross, and the conclusion on The Ascent of Mount Carmel. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with a passage from St. John's The Ascent of Mount Carmel, and reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Actio...

This is the third session that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with a passage from St. John's The Ascent of Mount Carmel, and reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit...

This is the second dialogue that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In this episode, Jim and Kirsten discuss Session 2, which covered The Ascent of Mount Carmel. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org  The transcript for this episode can be found here. The book being used for this season c...

This morning Jim Finley gave a homily called "Are We Forsaken?" for a Good Friday service with the Center for Action and Contemplation's staff, board, and extended community and we wanted to share it with you. We hope this finds you well this Easter weekend.

This is the second session that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with a passage from St. John's The Ascent of Mount Carmel, and reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Con...

This is the first session that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with a passage from St. John's The Ascent of Mount Carmel, and reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit...

This is the first session that focuses on the mystic, St. John of the Cross. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with a passage from St. John's The Ascent of Mount Carmel, and reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Cont...

Welcome to Season 3 of Turning to the Mystics. In this episode, Kirsten Oates and James Finley are turning to 16th-century Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross and discovering how one might integrate his poetry and teachings into our daily lives. By the end of this episode, you will have an understanding of the life and work of St. John of the Cross and his impact on Jim Finley. Special thanks to...

Season 3 of Turning to the Mystics will continue with our next mystic, St. John of the Cross. We will begin our journey together on March 8th, 2021. Many have emailed and asked which book we will be working out of. You can purchase it here, although it is not necessary. We will continue to include the passages in the transcripts. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Act...

In this bonus episode, Jim Finley offers an Advent meditation on the gift of God in and as our lives. In this teaching, Jim provides an image of this gift, the invitation to awaken to its presence, habituate it through practice, and offer it back to the world. In expressive poetic form and mystical knowing, Jim will draw you into the mystical significance of the Advent season. We will return in Ma...

In this bonus episode of Turning to the Mystics, Jim Finley and Kirsten Oates offer a 10-minute grounding meditation to help nourish us in times of strife and stress, as many are feeling today and all these long pandemic days. Please listen and join us in quiet meditation (with the occasional sounds of construction in Jim’s backyard.) Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center fo...

In this episode, Jim and Kirsten answer questions that were submitted by the listeners during the airing of the 2nd season. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org   For the transcript to this podcast, you can find it here. The book being used for this season can be found here. Check out our online co...

In this episode, Jim and Kirsten answer questions that were submitted by the listeners during the airing of the 2nd season. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org   The transcript for this episode can be found here. The book being used for this season can be found here. Check out our online course on...

In this episode, Jim and Kirsten have their second dialogue around the sixth and seventh mansions of Teresa of Avila's The Interior Castle and discuss the path it provides for spiritual transformation. In this episode, Kirsten references a translation of the Interior Castle by Mirabai Starr. You can get it here. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplat...

In this episode, Jim and Kirsten have their first dialogue around the sixth and seventh mansions of Teresa of Avila's The Interior Castle and discuss the path it provides for spiritual transformation. In this episode, Kirsten references a translation of the Interior Castle by Mirabai Starr. You can get it here. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplati...

Today on the show we have our friend Richard Rohr on the show. In it, we talk about how he discovered Teresa of Avila, the impact she made on his life, and what her work means for us today. Resources: Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org   The link to the transcript can be found here. The book being used for...