Sometimes, I confess, God seems far too intangible and abstract to be of much practical use to me in a world where friends die, politics terrify, wars threaten. This God-concept is one I like to play with intellectually; the notion intrigues me, and theology fascinates me. But are my ideas about God “real”—or merely imaginary?
Read MoreThe yearning we feel in the twenty-first century for all things Celtic is nothing new. In the 1700s, people in England became interested once again in the Druids and sought to bring druidry back to life. Later, in the nineteenth century, the poet William Butler Yeats was at the center of what is known as the Celtic Revival, a movement that sought to reaffirm a Gaelic spiritual heritage amid the encroaching British culture.
Read MoreIn Reading the Bible the Celtic Way: The Peacock’s Tail Feathers, Ken McIntosh explores the way in which the early Christian Celts considered the Bible and Nature to be equally the Word of God. Many of us find that concept attractive, both because of the value it puts on the natural world and because it indicates a new balance for biblical literalism. But from our modern perspective, it’s a metaphor. I don’t think we totally grasp the metaphor—because we don’t really get how the medieval mind thought about reading.
Read MoreIn a well-known gospel story, a woman with a flow of blood comes to Jesus, speaking an affirmation “if I but touch him, I will be healed.” (Mark 5:21-34) For at least twelve years, she had suffered from what was likely a gynecological ailment that not only made her life miserable, but led to her being judged as a social outcast, religiously unclean, and likely responsible for her health situation.
Read MoreHere at Anamchara Books, we’ve been impressed (and thrilled) by the overwhelming positive response to our release of the first installment of The Celtic Study Bible—Reading the Bible the Celtic Way: The Peacock’s Tail Feathers by Kenneth McIntosh. Personally, I’m both excited and grateful that this serendipitous idea (which came while exploring Devon and Cornwall with Ken and his wife Marsha) is bearing fruit—and that it’s clearly answering a felt need for many of you. But it’s made me wonder—why? Why are so many of us attracted to “Celtic spirituality”?
Read MoreThe words “interspiritual” or “interspirituality” have become popular among certain commentators on contemporary spiritual movements. Reflective of today’s spiritual pluralism, the terms reflect the practices of persons who are rooted in a particular religious tradition, and whose spiritual lives are also enriched by practices from other faith traditions.
Read MoreHello! As I think about what I'd like to communicate with Anamchara readers, an imaginary scene comes to mind. You and I are sitting in my living room together, and while we enjoy a cup of tea and some biscuits, we get to know each other. Since I don't know your name, I'm going to think of you as "Pilgrim," someone who is on a spiritual journey, seeking to discover new meaning and new connections with God. After we've talked about you for a bit, you begin to ask me questions about myself. Here's how the conversation goes
Read MoreI remember my Mom sitting in the pre-dawn morning reading the Bible with a cup of coffee by her side. I would often sit with her, sometimes with the Bible, sometimes with other readings. This morning, I am continuing the practice.
Read MoreFor several weeks I saw him in the distance as I took my sunrise walk on the Cape Cod beach I frequent. He resolutely walked the beach with metal detector in hand. I often wondered why he bothered. It was October, tourist season was over, and he couldn't retrieve more than a handful of coins or maybe an occasionally a lost watch or cheap piece of costume jewelry in the course of his hunting. Yet, he came back day after day, just as I came back daily for my contemplative prayer walk.
Read MoreI have more books in my head than I’ll ever write. An idea that’s percolating right now is a series of books on color. After my musing on the color blue a few days ago, now I’m thinking about GREEN.
Read MoreThose of us who think of ourselves as “Celtic Followers of Christ” often like to idealize the ancient Celtic saints. The truth is, the early Celtic Christ-followers were a mixed bag (just like today’s). Many of them affirmed women’s spiritual roles—but some were downright misogynists. Some were tolerant of other beliefs and traditions—and others were as narrow-minded as any of today’s most intolerant conservatives. But one thing they all truly had in common—something that sets them apart and endears them to me—is this: they all loved animals.
Read MoreAs a young man, I pondered the concept of sin. What is sin, I concluded, but separation? Separation from God, separation from all. Building a wall. Maintaining the wall. In Martin Buber’s exquisite language, it's living in the world of I–It (rather than I–Thou).
Read MoreIn Magic Reversed I portray the wizard Merlin as an ambivalent figure: Finn and the other characters in the novel can’t decide whether he is a crazed fool or an insightful seer—and he turns out to be both of those things.
Read MoreOne of the books I've been reading in the morning before my workday is Green Man, Earth Angel by Tom Cheetham. The title of the book is a bit misleading, I think, to those of us who are familiar with the "Green Man"—or foliate head—of Celtic mythology.
Read MoreAs so often, my morning reading leads me here and there, as I chase ideas from one author to another. This morning, I ended up reading Ludwig Wittgenstein, a philosopher who in life was obsessive, fiercely impatient, and often depressed to the point of being suicidal.
Read MoreI've been reading three novels during the last week: Duma Key by Stephen King, Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire, and Asta's Book by Barbara Vine. They're quite different books but they have each talked about the creative power to not only find meaning in life but to make it.
Read MoreAs I've been re-reading the Abaloc books that our sister imprint, CandleWood Books, just released, I've been struck that these are quite different from today's children's books.
Read More"The worship of God is not a rule of safety—it is an adventure of the spirit,” so wrote British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead. The same applies to the spiritual journey—it is an adventure of the spirit, beckoning us beyond our known worlds to the Deep Mystery we call God...
Read MoreIn times of uncertainty, when the future looks frightening, Philippians 4 calls us away from despair and anger. We are called instead to take action, undeterred by what seems dark and ugly in the world, while focusing on all that is still beautiful and true around us (even amidst those we dislike).
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