Seeing Nature as a Mystic with Douglas E. Christie

Learning How to See with Brian McLaren

What does it mean to grieve the crisis facing our planet?

In this episode, we’re learning to see nature through the lens of a mystic. Brian McLaren sits down with Douglas E. Christie to discuss his work in the emerging field of contemplative studies, its relevance to our current ecological crisis, and the importance of acknowledging and processing ecological grief. Together, they explore the historical and contemporary significance of contemplative practices and underscore their role in confronting the "dark night of the world", helping us to foster a deeper connection with the Earth.

About the guest:

Douglas E. Christie, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is the author of The Word in The Desert: Scripture and the Quest for Holiness in Early Christian Monasticism, The Blue Sapphire of the Mind: Notes for a Contemplative Ecology, and The Insurmountable Darkness of Love: Mysticism, Loss, and the Common Life. He has been awarded fellowships from the Luce Foundation, the Lilly Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. From 2013-2015 he served as Co-director of the Casa de la Mateada study abroad program in Córdoba, Argentina, a faith-based program rooted in the Jesuit vision of education for solidarity. He lives with his family in Los Angeles.

Resources:

• The transcript for this episode can be found here.
• Brian referenced two of his books, Life After Doom and The Galapagos Islands.
• Douglas referenced his books:
• The Blue Sapphire of the Mind: Notes for a Contemplative Ecology, which you can find here.
• And, The Insurmountable Darkness of Love: Mysticism, Loss, and the Common Life, which you can find here.
• To learn more about Douglas, visit his website here.
• Find out more about musician April Stace here.

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We'll be accepting questions for our Listener Questions episode until November 20th, 2024.