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      12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
    • The Wisdom of the Body:
      A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
    • Illuminating the Way:
      Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
    • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
      Eight Practices for the Journey Within
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      Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
    • The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
    • Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated & Explained
    • Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
    • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements
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      Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction
    • Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness
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        Exploring Sacred Rhythms of Time
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        Photography as Contemplative Practice
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        Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance
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        The Sacred Art of Reading the World
      • A Midwinter God:
        Making a Conscious Underworld Journey
      • Sacred Seasons:
        A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
      • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
        Eight Practices for the Journey Within
        (a companion retreat to the book)
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      • Watershed Moments
        in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
      • Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist:
        A 12-Week Companion Retreat to The Artist's Rule
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        A 10-Week Online Companion Retreat to the Book
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Illuminating the Way:
Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics

by Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE, OblSB

Ave Maria Press 2016

Description

Popular author of eight books and abbess of the online retreat center Abbey of the Arts, Christine Valters Paintner explores how the lives and spirituality of twelve monks and mystics offer distinct patterns of thought that will lead you to a deeper understanding of your strengths and areas of growth and will guide you on the path to your true spiritual identity.

In Illuminating the Way, Christine Valters Paintner takes you on a journey through your inner life accompanied by twelve great monks and mystics from the Christian tradition. Each figure invites you to discover the energy and potential of a particular archetype—the inner sage in Benedict; the inner visionary in Hildegard of Bingen; and the inner orphan in Dorothy Day. From the prophet Miriam of the Hebrew scriptures to twentieth century monk Thomas Merton, Paintner offers an array of challenging and enlivening models to explore.

Paintner is beloved by readers for her creative practices, guided meditations, and beautiful prayers and poems, and she has included all of these elements in her new book to further explore the image associated with each mystic. Her insightful reflections on key selections of each mystic's writings will help you gain greater self-knowledge and experience a deeper encounter with God.

Each chapter also includes a full-color painting of each monk or mystic by Marcy Hall with commentary by Paintner and scripture passages and mediations by Paintner's husband, John.

Supplemental materials, including a CD with music, a DVD with movement prayers, and a book that includes images, poems, and music notations are available on Paintner's website AbbeyoftheArts.com.

Order Details

To order through Amazon.com click here>>

To order through Ave Maria Press click here>>

To order through Barnes and Noble click here>>

Supplemental Materials

You can order the CD Singing with Monks and Mystics and DVD Dancing with Monks and Mystics to further inspire your journey with these inspiring figures.

You can download full page versions of Stacy Wills' mandala coloring pages: Fool and Sovereign Mandalas

Virtual Book Tour

"Welcoming the Mystics to Be Our Teachers" on Unity FM's Soul-Directed Life>>

Praise for the Book

In this creative work Christine Valters Paintner offers us a pilgrimage through the lives of sages, healers, mystics, visionaries, and more—inviting us to feast on their wisdom and explore how their gift of life can illuminate the way for us. This is a wonderful resource and I joyfully recommend it."  -Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB, Author of Seven Sacred Pauses

Illuminating the Way combines meditation, poetry, art, and more to reveal the singing heart of our tradition's great wisdom keepers. Jesus has been called the 'Lord of the Dance' — this sumptuous book calls us to join the circle."  -Carl McColman, Author of Befriending Silence

Christine Valters Paintner is a vibrant green path—a path I love to walk. In Illuminating the Way she invites saints and mystics to join us. Rilke and Merton step out of their books, walk beside us, and do, indeed, illumine the path." -Janet Conner, author of Writing Down Your Soul, Soul Vows and The Soul Discovery Coloring Book

Illuminating the Way generously offers myriad pathways to discover and explore the multiple selves that dwell within each of us. It's a book that will expand you, a real treasure that you will return to again and again." -Colette Lafia, author of Seeking Surrender

Given her experience in guiding retreats and workshops, there's a welcome practicality to this book that casts familiar practices in a new light. Valters-Paintner's experience with practices like Lectio Divina practically drips through the pages. In the appendix, there is a fresh framing and an invitation to practice Lectio Divina that is very useful and goes beyond most instructions to the practice. . . To read this book is to spend a little time in the presence of a warm spiritual guide full of wisdom both in reframing the ongoing journey and for practical tools for everyday use! . . . engaging, enriching, and spiritually aligning. Some books have the effect of bringing us into attunement because they manifest and connect us with a deep wisdom through the act of reading it. This is one of these books." -a review at Contemplative Light

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Upcoming Programs

Jubilee Year Community Retreat:
Exploring Sacred Rhythms of Time
(ONLINE)

June 2019-June 2020
with Christine & John Valters Paintner and Wisdom Council members

The Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred Feminine:
A 30-day self-study retreat
(Use code Mary20 for 20% off in December)
with Christine & John Valters Paintner, Betsey Beckman, Jamie Marich, and Sibyl Dana Reynolds

Recent Reflections

  • Monk in the World Guest Post: Jen Arendt
  • Monk in the World: Kinship with Creation 2 – Scripture Reflection by John ~ A Note from your Online Abbot
  • Featured Poet: Mary C. Earle
  • Monk in the World: Kinship with Creation 1 ~ Reflection by Christine
  • Dancing Monk Icons on Sale!

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