The other day I introduced the claim that imagination is one of the most powerful allies in the spiritual life. Today I'd like to see how this plays out in the Western mystical tradition and some its more casual contemporary manifestations. Despite Christianity's general suspicion of the imagination, both the Scriptures and mystical tradition (to … Continue reading Sanctified Imagination: Part 2 – Mystical Creativity
I have come to believe that imagination — specifically, a holy, sacred, or sanctified imagination — is one of the greatest tools at our disposal to build resilience, faith, and that most elusive of all virtues, hope. This idea has bubbled up again and again this year on the blog: when I contemplated re-enchanting my … Continue reading Sanctified Imagination: Part 1 – Problems and Possibilities
It’s been a few weeks now since I looked a practice rooted in scripture reading, so I decided this week to look at one of the other traditions commonly known as lectio divina, or sacred reading. Whereas a few weeks ago I explored devotional reading focused on different ways scripture can speak to us, this … Continue reading Lectio Divina (Gospel Contemplation)
Matthew Root 