“Spirituality and Religion”: the thought of Ken Wilber and Father Thomas Keating

21 11 2008

One of the topics I am interested in is the debate around the concepts of “religions” and “spirituality”.

This is something that really challenges me, because, even if I come from a catholic tradition and education, I have always been interested also in other religions, their contemplative and meditative traditions and experiences.

But the concept of religion, in itself, is very different studying the asian spiritual traditions (like the buddhist and the induist, for example), rather than the meaning it has in the three main monotheistic traditions.

On the other side, but this is my personal experience, I believe in the interreligious dialogue, searching for what is essential and common in every tradition, experiencing different forms of meditations and prayers, without losing my catholic membership.

In the two “You tube” videos added below, I propose to you:

1. a Ken Wilber reflections on “The spirituality of tomorrow” (which, of course, is based on the “integral” Wilber perspective);

2. a chat among Ken and father Thomas Keating, entitled “Religious, but not spiritual?”.

Father Thomas Keating”is a trappist monk, living at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado (U.S.A.). He is co-founder of the Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., an international, ecumenical spiritual network that teaches the practice of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, a method of prayer drawn from the Christian contemplative tradition.

 





Prophets of our time: Brother Roger of Taizé

20 11 2008

In this post you will find added the letter that I wrote to my friends and to the brothers of the Community of Taizè the day after the death (August, 16, 2005) of br. Roger of Taizè.

In my life, I have been very lucky beacuse I had the opportunity to spend almost 1 year in Taizè as a volunteer, between 1996 and 1997: so, I had the possibility to pray with him, to listen to his meditation and even to…drink hot chocolate with him!

The letter is in italian. For all the people who are not familiar with my mother language, I recommend to visit the Taizé Website: you will find there all the informations (in your own language) about a person that I consider a “prophet of our time”.

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Photo: Brother Roger of Taizé, Source (Wikimedia Commons) www. taizè.fr, Date 4.12.2006, Author Sabine Leutenegger, Permission: Taizé; Brother Emile, Taizé





Il gruppo che crede

10 11 2008

Credo fortemente nello stile di vita comunitario e vi spiego che cosa esso significhi, secondo me.

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