The Opposite of Faith is Certitude
The Opposite of Faith is Certitude
At a recent conference, I shared that, “The opposite of faith is not doubt; it is certitude.” A participant e-mailed me afterward asking me to expand on the concept. He said “I’m trying to get my arms around this concept.”…
Henri Nouwen and Fun
Prolific spiritual author Henri Nouwen often reads sad, lonely, and anguished. But that belies the fact that, in real life, he was also a lot of fun.
When I tell personal stories about him or show videotapes of his…
Spiritual Friendship and Formation: Spirituality Courses and Programs at CTS
Feed your desire to deepen your relationship with God as you learn to assist others on their faith journey.
In these extraordinary times, discovering a deeper relationship with God may seem more pressing than ever before.
The Spirituality Program at…
Can the Wisdom of the Past Speak to the Challenges of Today?
A lot of people are saying it: 2020 is turning out to be a doozy of a year.
Between the COVID-19 pandemic, our ongoing national conversation about racism and justice, concerns about restoring our economy in the wake of…
Try Centering Prayer: Change. Anxiety. Fear… Freedom. Healing. Wholeness
I invite you to pause, just for a moment, pause.
Slowly, inhale a deep, full breath. Slowly, let it out.
Try it again. Close your eyes if you’d like. Slowly take a deep breath in, breathing in the love and…
On ANTS and Your Mental Health
Mental health has become a big issue because of our social isolation. It is like having ants in your home! How many are there? Where are they coming from? Where have they been? How can I get rid of them?…
Imagination and Resilience: Your Keys to Success in Unusual Times
With such devastating pandemic news looming over our heads each day, how do we find ways to illuminate the shadow in the world’s mind? To regain, hold onto or spark a sliver of hope and resilience in these unusual times?
…
Have you found the key?
One metaphor for wisdom is the key. Keys unlock what is closed, throw open the doors to what is hidden, and reveal secrets locked away. Keys are also a metaphor for access, and therefore, of power (remember the character nicknamed…
Teaching for Faith
A man was out hiking when he fell off a cliff. He managed to grab a thin tree branch sticking out of the side of the rocky cliff wall saving him from plunging thousands of feet below. As his fingers…
Helping and Ministering At End-of-Life
I’d always known we were a death-denying culture. I learned that first from the classic work by Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death. I learned it again when I served as a hospice chaplain for six years, prior to…
For the Bookshelf: Introduction to the Devout Life
Born in 1567 into a wealthy family, Francis de Sales received a wonderful education as the oldest of thirteen children.
At age fifteen, his father arranged for him to attend the University of Paris, with the intention that he would…
The Third Spiritual Alphabet
The author, Francisco de Osuna, was born in 1492, in the town of Osuna in southern Spain. His family was in the service of a count. At the age of eighteen, he was attracted to the priesthood. After three years…
A Spirituality Reading List for 2019
A Spirituality Reading List by Fives
Israel Galindo, Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning and Director of Online Education
Someone recently asked me for a reading list of books on spirituality. I’ll start by confessing that coming up with this…
For the Bookshelf: On Prayer—Conversation with God
December 24, 2018—John Calvin was the great Protestant reformer from France, who ultimately pastored the church in Geneva. During his Christian journey and ministry as a reformed pastor, he wrote and frequently revised the classical work of theology, Institutes of…
For the Bookshelf: The Complete Fenelon
December 10, 2018—Francois Fenelon was born in France in 1651. Fenelon pursued a career in the church. He completed his doctorate and was ordained at the age of twenty-six. He began preaching and writing. Fenelon became influential as a tutor…
