James Finley, a mystical text expert and meditation teacher, delves into The Cloud of Unknowing, exploring stages of Christian living, the concept of purgatory as love's purification, transcending habitual patterns to find divine love, and offering a mystical meditation session for reflection and prayer.
The Cloud of Unknowing outlines a spiritual journey in stages of faith, devotion, and deep communion with God.
Transition after death signifies unmediated union with God for eternal oneness and interconnectedness with divine beings.
Deep dives
Understanding the Four Stages of Living the Christian Life
The author of The Cloud of Unknowing presents the journey of the Christian life in four stages. The common way of life involves faith as moral guidance and belonging to a community. In the special way of life, God becomes personally real and heartfelt devotion emerges. The singular way of life focuses on a blind stirring of love and a desire for a deep communion with God, leading to a habituated state of spiritual connection.
Exploring the Mystical Union with God Beyond Earthly Boundaries
The podcast contemplates the transition after death, emphasizing that passing through death doesn't mean going anywhere but crossing over to an unmediated union with God. In this state, individuals love and know God with God's love and knowledge, existing in eternal oneness with God. The discussion extends to the interconnectedness of saints, angels, and loved ones in the infinite presence of God.
Practicing Contemplative Love and Its Impact on Self and Others
The contemplative work of loving God for His sake is highlighted as a transformative practice. Emphasizing the purification of the heart and mind through love, the podcast suggests that this purifying process may continue after death. The inner work of self-donating love radiates out to assist others and contributes to the subtle transformation of the world through the mystery of divine love.
This is the first session that focuses on the mystical text, The Cloud of Unknowing. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with a passage from The Cloud of Unknowing, and reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice.
Resources:
Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org
For the transcript for this podcast can be found here.
The book being used for this season can be found here.
Connect with us:
We also produce other podcasts you might enjoy. To learn more about them and our other offerings, visit cac.org
This podcast is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you would love to support the ongoing work of the Center for Action and Contemplation and the continued work of our podcasts, you can donate at cac.org/podcastsupport Thank you!
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode