

Turning to the Mystics with James Finley
Center for Action and Contemplation
Turning to the Mystics is a podcast for people searching for something more meaningful, intimate and richly present in the divine gift of their lives. James Finley, clinical psychologist and Living School faculty, offers a modern take on the historical contemplative practices of Christian mystics like Teresa of Avila, Thomas Merton, John of the Cross among others. Leaning into their experiences can become a gateway to hope, healing and oneness. Together with Kirsten Oates from the Center for Action and Contemplation, they explore listener questions and examine their own paths as modern contemplatives in this beautiful and broken world.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 8, 2021 • 5min
Coming Soon: Turning to St. John of the Cross
Season 3 of Turning to the Mystics will continue with our next mystic, St. John of the Cross. We will begin our journey together on March 8th, 2021.Many have emailed and asked which book we will be working out of. You can purchase it here, although it is not necessary. We will continue to include the passages in the transcripts.Resources:Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org 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!

Dec 8, 2020 • 20min
Bonus: The Gift (A Meditation on Advent)
In this bonus episode, Jim Finley offers an Advent meditation on the gift of God in and as our lives. In this teaching, Jim provides an image of this gift, the invitation to awaken to its presence, habituate it through practice, and offer it back to the world. In expressive poetic form and mystical knowing, Jim will draw you into the mystical significance of the Advent season.We will return in March with our 3rd mystic, St. John of the Cross!Resources:Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org 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!

Nov 3, 2020 • 15min
Bonus: Grounding Meditation for the Election
In this bonus episode of Turning to the Mystics, Jim Finley and Kirsten Oates offer a 10-minute grounding meditation to help nourish us in times of strife and stress, as many are feeling today and all these long pandemic days. Please listen and join us in quiet meditation (with the occasional sounds of construction in Jim’s backyard.)Resources:Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org 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!

Oct 12, 2020 • 1h 11min
Teresa of Avila: Listener Questions (Part 2)
In this episode, Jim and Kirsten answer questions that were submitted by the listeners during the airing of the 2nd season.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 to this podcast, you can find it here.
The book being used for this season can be found here.
Check out our online course on the Interior Castle, details are 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!

Oct 5, 2020 • 1h 1min
Teresa of Avila: Listener Questions (Part 1)
In this episode, Jim and Kirsten answer questions that were submitted by the listeners during the airing of the 2nd season.Resources:
Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
The book being used for this season can be found here.
Check out our online course on the Interior Castle, details are 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!

Sep 28, 2020 • 1h 1min
Dialogue: The Sixth and Seventh Mansions (Part 2)
In this episode, Jim and Kirsten have their second dialogue around the sixth and seventh mansions of Teresa of Avila's The Interior Castle and discuss the path it provides for spiritual transformation. In this episode, Kirsten references a translation of the Interior Castle by Mirabai Starr. You can get it here.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 to this podcast, you can find it here.
The book being used for this season can be found here.
Check out our online course on the Interior Castle, details are 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!

Sep 21, 2020 • 1h 6min
Dialogue: The Sixth and Seventh Mansions (Part 1)
In this episode, Jim and Kirsten have their first dialogue around the sixth and seventh mansions of Teresa of Avila's The Interior Castle and discuss the path it provides for spiritual transformation. In this episode, Kirsten references a translation of the Interior Castle by Mirabai Starr. You can get it here.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 to this podcast, you can find it here.
The book being used for this season can be found here.
Check out our online course on the Interior Castle, details are 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!

Sep 14, 2020 • 1h 3min
Bonus: Richard Rohr on Turning to Teresa of Avila
Today on the show we have our friend Richard Rohr on the show. In it, we talk about how he discovered Teresa of Avila, the impact she made on his life, and what her work means for us today.Resources:
Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about Jim, visit jamesfinley.org
The link to the transcript can be found here.
The book being used for this season can be found here.
Check out our online course on the Interior Castle, details are 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!

Sep 7, 2020 • 41min
Teresa of Avila: Session 6
Dive into the profound world of Teresa of Avila as the conversation unfolds on the spiritual ascent through the seven mansions of the soul. Explore the challenges mystics face in articulating prayer amid personal suffering and how divine grace sustains them. Reflect on the transformative power of recognizing divine presence during struggles. Lastly, engage in a contemplative prayer session that invites meditation, setting the stage for future discussions on spiritual teachings.

Aug 31, 2020 • 54min
Teresa of Avila: Session 5
This is the fifth session that focuses on the mystic, Teresa of Avila. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with a passage from the sixth mansion of Teresa’s The Interior Castle, 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 to this podcast, you can find it here.
The book being used for this season can be found here.
Check out our online course on the Interior Castle, details are 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!


