#65 John Dear with Jim Finley, author, clinical psychologist, former Trappist monk, and host on Richard Rohr's CAC podcast "Turning to the Mystics": "Jesus is God's complete surrender to us."

About this episode

Fr. John Dear interviews Jim Finley about his journey in spirituality, mysticism, and his works related to Thomas Merton.

This week I speak with my friend Jim Finley, the beloved teacher of contemplation and mysticism. When he was a teenager, Jim entered the Abbey of Gethsemani and was a novice and later a friend of Thomas Merton. Eventually, he left the monastery, became a clinical psychologist, and opened his practice in Los Angeles, where he still lives. He wrote the first serious book about Merton’s spirituality, Merton’s Palace of Nowhere. Jim has taught and lectured on Merton, spirituality and mysticism for over 50 years, and these days is a faculty member of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Living School at the Center for Action and Contemplation. He hosts a free popular podcast, “Turning to the Mystics,” centering on Christian mysticism and contemplative living, which has hundreds of thousands of regular listeners. He is author of several other bestsellers, such as T he Awakening Call, The Contemplative Heart , and his recent memoir, The Healing Path . This year, Orbis Books is launching a ten volume series by Jim on the mystics, such as Teresa of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Meister Eckhart. The first volume is on Merton. This year , Orbis Books is launching a massive, ten volume…

People in this episode

Host: Fr. John Dear

Guest: Jim Finley

Topics covered

• Christian mysticism
• contemplative living
• spirituality
• Thomas Merton
• psychology
• mysticism

Keywords

• Jim Finley
• Thomas Merton
• mysticism
• contemplation
• spirituality
• Christianity
• psychology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center for Action and Contemplation, Orbis Books

Books & works: Merton’s Palace of Nowhere, The Awakening Call, The Contemplative Heart, The Healing Path, Turning to the Mystics, Merton, Teresa of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Meister Eckhart

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