KINDRED SPIRITS WEBSITES & PODCASTS
WE FIND INSPIRATION FROM OTHERS
CENTER FOR ACTION AND CONTEMPLATION
Founded by Franciscan Richard Rohr in 1987 as he saw a deep need for the integration of both action and contemplation, with an emphasis on the “and”. Contemplation is a way of listening with the heart while not relying entirely on the head. It is a prayerful letting go of our sense of control and choosing to cooperate with God and God’s work in the world. Prayer without action, can promote our tendency to self-preoccupation, and without contemplation, even well-intended actions can cause more harm than good.
CENTER FOR CHRISTOGENESIS
Religion has not kept pace with insights from modern science and the rapid rise of technology. The human person is evolving at an accelerated rate but there is no myth or story to guide these rapid developments in human consciousness and complexity.
To meet the religious needs of a world in evolution, the Center’s mission is to:
•Deepen the integration of science and religion by understanding the contribution of each discipline to the whole field of knowing and loving.
•Reflect on the human person as an integral member of the cosmic whole and to advance development toward integrated consciousness.
•Enkindle an awareness of love as the core energy of the universe, the impulse of evolution.
CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH
Is a spiritual network of individuals and small faith communities committed to living the contemplative dimension of the Gospel. The common desire for Divine transformation, primarily expressed through a commitment to a daily Centering Prayer practice unites its international, interdenominational community. Fr. Thomas Keating was a founding member and the spiritual guide of Contemplative Outreach. Fr. Keating was one of the principal architects and teachers of the Christian contemplative prayer movement.
WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATION (WCCM)
is a global and inclusive contemplative family. Meditation is a universal spiritual wisdom and a practice found at the core of all the great religious traditions, leading from the mind to the heart. It is a way of simplicity, silence and stillness. It can be practised by anyone, wherever you are on your life’s journey. The roots of WCCM lie in the desert tradition of early Christianity dating back to the 4th century. In 1975 John Main, an Irish Benedictine monk (1926-1982), started the first Christian Meditation Centre in London. The first of the family of weekly meditation groups around the world began to meet then.
MATTHEW FOX
“MATTHEW FOX might well be the most creative, the most comprehensive, surely the most challenging religious-spiritual teacher in America. He has the scholarship, the imagination, the courage, the writing skill to fulfill this role at a time when the more official Christian theological traditions are having difficulty in establishing any vital contact with either the spiritual possibilities of the present or with their own most creative spiritual traditions of the past….He has, it seems, created a new mythic context for leading us out of our contemporary religious and spiritual confusion into a new clarity of mind and peace of soul, by affirming rather than abandoning any of our traditional beliefs.” Thomas Berry, author of The Great Work, The Dream of the Earth and The Universe Story
AUSTRALASIAN CATHOLIC COALITION FOR CHURCH REFORM
Established in 2012, comprises member groups united in seeking renewal in the Catholic Church. It seeks to foster collaboration and support among its members, inspiring the people of God, directed by their conscience, to assume responsibility for renewal in the Australian Catholic Church.
THE GRAIL IN AUSTRALIA
THE GRAIL IN AUSTRALIA is part of an international movement and community of women who share the same vision. Diverse in age, ethnicity and experience, in different life situations and with a variety of gifts and skills, they work together to transform our world into a place of peace and justice. Women are drawn to the Grail for different reasons: some seek contemplative practices, some seek community, some are drawn to activism.
UNITING CHURCH FORUM
UNITING CHURCH FORUM, conceived in 2001 with particular interest in the future of the Uniting Church, has since expanded to the Church as a whole. It seeks to represent, with integrity, this growing movement of people by addressing many critical issues including education, theology and praxis, communication and governance. The group welcomes thinking explorers of faith and spirituality from many denominations as well as subscribers with no church connection, including ordained and lay people. It provides news and commentary about seminars, resources and scholarship in the field of progressive Christianity.
WOMEN AND THE AUSTRALIAN CHURCH
WOMEN AND THE AUSTRALIAN CHURCH was established in 1984 as a means of changing the understanding of the role of women in the Australian church and in society. It was initiated by the women Religious within the Catholic church and has been supported ideologically and, to some extent financially, by the Religious Orders of both men and women. It has developed into a network of local and regional groups in the various states of Australia. Men are included in the membership. Although Catholic by origin, it encourages membership from other religious denominations.
PODCASTS
