Being Contemplative in a Crisis: Barbara Holmes

What does it mean to be a contemplative? Does it bring up for you an image of a silent monk in a cell, or a solitary individual on a mountaintop or something aspirational- far removed from your everyday life? The Rev’d Dr Barbara Holmes joins the podcast to challenge our beliefs about what contemplation is, revealing the limitations of a Euro-centric view that misses the many different portals to the contemplative experience. She describes how even a crisis and great suffering can be a way that people together find an entry to a space of transformation and connection with others and the divine source of our being. Barbara Holmes is a scholar of African American spirituality and mysticism who teaches how God’s communal presence can inspire imagination and wisdom, especially in times of crisis. Her latest book is “Crisis Contemplation: Healing the Wounded Village.”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Om Podcasten

A podcast exploring the deeper mysteries of faith, meaning, and beauty. Based at St John's Cathedral in Brisbane, the podcast invites others into conversation who are also "on the way"; seeking a transformative spirituality and inclusive faith that speaks to real issues of today. Together we seek to make meaning and articulate a Christianity that expresses the liberating and life-giving message of the Gospel in our time.