How Can Contemplative Christianity Help Me?

Event Details

We hope you will join us in exploring the past and future of the Christian contemplative tradition with some of the most prominent voices in contemplative thinking and practice today.

Brian McLaren, James Finley, Carmen Acevedo Butcher, and guest teacher Pico Iyer will guide attendees through teachings, conversations, and practices designed to help us explore the benefits of the ancient lineage of contemplative Christianity for our lives today.     

Event access information will be sent 24-48 hours before the event. The event recording will be emailed 5-7 days after the event. Participants will need a device with reliable Internet access, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer to access Zoom.   

Registration

Registration for this online gathering is open from April 2 through May 17, 2025. This event will be recorded. All those who register by May 17 will have access to the replay for one full year.   

Cost 

The cost of attending this online gathering is $95. We believe that finances should not be a barrier to participation. For that reason, we have made additional price levels available at $30, $10, or $5. We encourage you to select the price you are most able to afford.

Code of Conduct

CAC encourages authentic conversation in our various online experiences. We expect all participants to abide by our ⁠Community Code of Conduct. 

Featured Teachers

Brian McLaren, Dean of CAC Faculty 

Former evangelical pastor Brian McLaren is a champion for a more loving, inclusive and contemplative Christianity. A faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation, he teaches ways to reconnect with the message Jesus lived and died for — unconditional love. Brian is the author of “Faith After Doubt,” “Do I Stay Christian,” “Life After Doom,” and host of CAC’s podcast “Learning How to See.” 

James Finley, Core Faculty 

Student of Thomas Merton and clinical psychologist, Dr. James Finley teaches how connecting to our Divine indwelling can transcend fear and shame and awaken to our True Self. A faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation, James is the author of “The Healing Path,” “Merton’s Palace of Nowhere” and the host of CAC’s podcast “Turning to the Mystics.” 

Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Affiliate Faculty

Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an award-winning author, poet, and translator of spiritual texts — she has translated the books “The Cloud of Unknowing,” and “Practice of the Presence.” Carmen teaches at UC Berkeley, focusing on language evolution and inclusive communication. Her work highlights the power of words and the connection between personal and global healing. 

Pico Iyer 

Pico Iyer is an Oxford-educated speaker and author of “Aflame: Learning from Silence,” “The Half Known Life,” and “The Art of Stillness,” among others. He is a contributor to The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, and The Financial Times, and his TED Talks have garnered millions of views. A proponent of the practice of stillness, he divides his time between Japan and the New Camaldoli hermitage in Big Sur, California. 

Frequently Asked Questions