
Turning to the Mystics with James Finley
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.
Latest episodes

Oct 23, 2023 • 36min
Coaching Session: May God Bind Us All
In this special episode, Jim and Kirsten review the season and offer a way for us to turn to Mechthild for guidance on our own spiritual path. To help you participate, we have provided the worksheet in the Resource Section below.Resource Section:
A transcript for this episode can be found here.
The worksheet for this episode can be found here.
The book we will be using this season, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, can be found here.
Join us December 7 - 10, 2023 for Turning to the Mystics Online Retreat: The Way of the Mind and the Way of the Heart. Learn more and register at cac.org/retreat
Connect with us:
Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about Mechthild of Magdeburg? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. Questions for this season will only be accepted until October 30th, 2023.
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 https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Oct 16, 2023 • 1h 12min
Dialogue 3: A Love That Binds
This is the third dialogue session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. James Finley and Kirsten Oates talk about the third session which focused on passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead.Resources:
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
The book we will be using this season, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, can be found here.
Join us December 7 - 10, 2023 for Turning to the Mystics Online Retreat: The Way of the Mind and the Way of the Heart. Learn more and register at cac.org/retreat
Connect with us:
Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about Mechthild of Magdeburg? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. Questions for this season will only be accepted until October 30th, 2023.
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 https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Oct 9, 2023 • 46min
Mechthild of Magdeburg: Session 3
This is the third session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead, reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice.Resources:
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
The book we will be using this season, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, can be found here.
Join us December 7 - 10, 2023 for Turning to the Mystics Online Retreat: The Way of the Mind and the Way of the Heart. Learn more and register at cac.org/retreat
Connect with us:
Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about Mechthild of Magdeburg? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. Questions for this season will only be accepted until October 30th, 2023.
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 https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Oct 2, 2023 • 1h 3min
Dialogue 2: A Loving Exchange
This is the second dialogue session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. James Finley and Kirsten Oates talk about the second session which focused on passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead.Resources:
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
The book we will be using this season, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, can be found here.
Connect with us:
Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about Mechthild of Magdeburg? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. Questions for this season will only be accepted until October 30th, 2023.
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 https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Sep 25, 2023 • 54min
Mechthild of Magdeburg: Session 2
This is the second session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead, reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice.Resources:
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
The book we will be using this season, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, can be found here.
Connect with us:
Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about Mechthild of Magdeburg? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. Questions for this season will only be accepted until October 30th, 2023.
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 https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Sep 18, 2023 • 1h 11min
Dialogue 1: The Soul Came to Love
This is the first dialogue session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. James Finley and Kirsten Oates talk about the first session which focused on passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead.Resources:
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
The book we will be using this season, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, can be found here.
Connect with us:
Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about Mechthild of Magdeburg? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. Questions for this season will only be accepted until October 30th, 2023.
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 https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Sep 11, 2023 • 46min
Mechthild of Magdeburg: Session 1
This is the first session that focuses on the Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley begins with passages from Mechthild of Magdeburg's book The Flowing Light of the Godhead, reflects on the qualitative essence of the spirit of this text, and finishes with a meditative practice.Resources:
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
The book we will be using this season, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, can be found here.
Connect with us:
Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about Mechtild of Magdeburg? Email us: podcasts@cac.org or leave us voicemail. Questions for this season will only be accepted until October 30th, 2023.
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 https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Sep 5, 2023 • 53min
Turning to Mechthild of Magdeburg
Welcome to Season 8 of Turning to the Mystics. This season we are turning to the 13th-century German mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg, a Beguine, for spiritual guidance. In this episode, James Finley and Kirsten Oates cover the life and person of Mechthild of Magdeburg and discuss how we can work with her teachings to transform our lives.Resources:
Turning to the Mystics is a podcast by the Center for Action and Contemplation. To learn more about James Finley, visit his faculty profile at the Center for Action and Contemplation here.
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
The book we will be using this season can be found here.
Connect with us:
Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about Mechtild of Magdeburg? Email us: podcasts@cac.org Questions for this season will only be accepted until October 30th, 2023.
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 https://cac.org/support-cac/podcasts/ Thank you!

Aug 23, 2023 • 27min
Bonus: Meister Eckhart Resources
The podcast provides resources for studying Meister Eckhart, including recommended books and academic sources. They discuss methods for understanding Eckhart's teachings and enriching prayer through scripture. The hosts express gratitude and excitement for the next season on mystic Magdeburg. They explore the connection between the mind's transformation and love and end with an advertisement for the Center for Action and Contemplation.

Aug 14, 2023 • 1h 1min
Meister Eckhart: Listener Questions (Part 3)
The hosts address listener questions on Meister Eckhart, including surrendering to God's love and embracing nothingness, seeking guidance in the silence of God, the transformative power of listening to the mystics, understanding God's unconditional love and the concept of evil, witnessing evil and the brokenness of the church, and answer a listener question about bad theology in churches.
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