Turning to the Mystics with James Finley

On this special bonus episode, James Finley and Kirsten Oates interview Carmen Acevedo Butcher about her translation of Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence. Carmen Acevedo Butcher is an award-winning translator, teacher, poet, and workshop leader. Her Cloud of Unknowing translation received a 46th Georgia Author of the Year Award, and Martin Laird calls her translation of Brother Lawrence’s Practice of the Presence “the new standard.” She holds degrees in Medieval Studies from the University of Georgia, was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of London, and teaches in the College Writing Programs at the University of California, Berkeley. Carmen is a core faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation. 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find out more about Carmen here. Carmen's book can be ⁠⁠⁠found here⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about this season? Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcasts@cac.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send us a voicemail: ⁠⁠⁠⁠cac.org/voicemail⁠⁠⁠⁠ We'll be accepting questions for our Listener Questions episode until November 7th, 2025. 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!

This is the third session which focuses on Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley reads passages from Carmen Acevedo Butcher's translation of Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence, reflects on core themes, 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 James Finley, visit his faculty profile ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. The book we will be using this season can be⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠found here⁠⁠⁠⁠. The transcript for this podcast can be found here. Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about this season? Email us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcasts@cac.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ Send us a voicemail: ⁠⁠⁠⁠cac.org/voicemail⁠⁠⁠⁠ We'll be accepting questions for our Listener Questions episode until November 7, 2025. 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!

This is the second session which focuses on Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley reads passages from Carmen Acevedo Butcher's translation of Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence, reflects on core themes, 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 James Finley, visit his faculty profile ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. The book we will be using this season can be⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠found here⁠⁠⁠. The transcript for this podcast can be found here. Connect with us: Have a question you'd like Jim or Kirsten to answer about this season? Email us: ⁠⁠⁠podcasts@cac.org⁠⁠⁠ Send us a voicemail: ⁠⁠⁠cac.org/voicemail⁠⁠⁠ We'll be accepting questions for our Listener Questions episode until November 7, 2025. 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!

This is the first session which focuses on Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. In the tenor of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, James Finley reads passages from Carmen Acevedo Butcher's translation of Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence, reflects on core themes, 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 James Finley, visit his faculty profile ⁠⁠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 this season? Email us: ⁠⁠podcasts@cac.org⁠⁠ Send us a voicemail: ⁠⁠cac.org/voicemail⁠⁠ We'll be accepting questions for our Listener Questions episode until November 7, 2025. 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!

Season 12 of Turning to the Mystics will continue with our next mystic, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. Our journey begins on September 8, 2025. Resources: Pick up a copy of Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence as translated by Carmen Acevedo Butcher: ⁠here

In this special episode, Jim and Kirsten review the season and offer a way for us to turn to Gabriel Marcel for guidance on our own spiritual path. Resource Section: A transcript for this episode can be found here. A link to the Oneing article Kirsten mentions can be found here. An information sheet on Lectio practice can be found ⁠here⁠. The book we will be using this season can be⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠found here⁠⁠⁠. Connect with us: 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!