This week on a special episode of “Jesuitical,” Ashley, Zac and Jesuitical producer Sebastian have a conversation with Dr. James Finley about first-half-of-life mysticism. Jim is a clinical psychologist and faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation where he teaches and writes on the Christian mystical tradition. He’s also the host of the podcast, “Turning to the Mystics.”
Chapters:
- 0:00 A special episode on mysticism
- 3:00 How Jim Finley discovered monasteries
- 12:00 An introduction to interior prayer
- 22:48 Where to start
- 24:30 How to stay patient
- 28:40 When life gets busy
- 34:48 Cultivating silence in your life
- 39:50 Finding God in trauma
- 41:45 Trusting your own experiences of God
- 48:00 Is God really inside of us?
- 51:00 Where mysticism and formal religion intersect
- 56:15 Does mystical experience relativize religion?
Links for further reading:
- Jim’s podcast, “Turning to the Mystics with James Finley”
- The Center for Action and Contemplation
- Merton’s Palace of Nowhere
- The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation
You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.
You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical.
Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts