Visit the Abbey of the Arts online retreat platform to access your programs:

Virtual Book Tour: Review At Sense of the Faithful

Next stop on the Virtual Book Tour is a review by Peg Conway at Sense of the Faithful:

Eyes of the HeartAn inspiring new book by Christine Valters Paintner called Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice provides a transformative path for the digital age.  Christine is the founder and abbess of the virtual Abbey of the Arts, where she offers online and in-person classes and other resources for contemplative living, with an emphasis on the expressive arts.  From reading her blogs and newsletter and taking her free “monk in the world” e-course, I regarded Christine as a wise and compassionate teacher, and her new book more than lives up to this impression.

Eyes of the Heart is a rich and nourishing work; like a hearty soup or whole grain bread, it satisfies real hunger and is best when leisurely savored. The first two chapters introduce themes and practices that are carried through the rest. As someone who likes to write, I found it incredibly worthwhile to spend plenty of time here cultivating a visual awareness.  This kind of seeing, as Christine presents it, is a deep work of the heart.  A key practice is to begin “receiving” images rather than taking or making or shooting them.  Such a shift of consciousness bears fruit not only with regard to photos but life in general.

Click here to purchase a copy of Eyes of the Heart>>

Previous Virtual Book Tour Stops:

You might also enjoy

Monk in the World Guest Post: Polly Paton-Brown

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Wisdom Council member Polly Paton-Brown’s reflection“I wanna be where my feet are.” November 6th 2024 was a misty day in the part of

Read More »

Monk in the World Guest Post: Katharine Weinmann

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Katharine Weinmann’s reflection and poem Courting the Mystic and the Muse. Five years ago, with the onset of Covid–19, and grieving the

Read More »