Articles & Papers

Here are some articles and papers that I have written on Carmelite related topics and the spiritual life. Click on the title to view a pdf file of the article.

Some Thoughts on Prayer (A talk on guidelines to personal prayer, 4 pp.)

Contemplative Prayer (Some reflections on contemplative prayer, 4 pp.)

Ascetism: Self Abuse or Means of Transformation (A paper presented to the American Academy of Religion Mysticism Group, 20 pp., drawing on both theology and psychology to examine asceticism in the contemporary context.)

Two Ways of Meditation: Concentration & Insight (A Christian application of two fundamental types of meditation, 4 pp.)

Whole Life Theory (A paper that sets out a holistic position for a multi-model, multi-dimensional psychological understanding the human person as well as a contemplatively grounded multi-modal dynamic therapy, including an idealized template for doing this kind of therapy, 41 pp.)

Crisis Intervention in Religious Community (A paper delivered at the Cistercian infirmarian Conference at Mepkin Abbey, South Carolina in January 2002, 15 pp. Interventions are sometimes needed in religious communities, but members are often reluctant to do so for many reasons, but primarily from simply not knowing how to proceed. This paper provides guidelines for evaluation and steps for intervention.)

Carmelite Mysticism and Eastern Mysticism (A critical paper delivered at The Carmelite International Seminar, The Experience of God Today and Carmelite Mysticism: Mystagogy and Inter-Religious and Cultural Dialog, in Zidine, Bosnia, September 17-22, 2007, 57 pp. This paper sets out the Vatican's position on Inter-Religious Dialogue and then proceeds to examine this subject in terms of methodology and areas of concern with special reference to the Carmelite mystical tradition--particularly St. John of the Cross--and Eastern mysticism--particularly Buddhism.)

Karl Rahner's Mystical Theology (A paper written as a masters student under the direction of Fr. Michael Scanlon, OSA, exploring the mystical theology of Karl Rahner, Washington Theological Union,1983, 32 pp).

Models of Conversion: A Movement Toward Synthesis (An independent research project written under the direction of Fr. Paul Philibert, OP as a masters student, The Catholic University of America, 1983, 83 pp), divided into two parts, click on links below.

Part 1 Part 2