What if the deepest encounters with the divine are not dramatic or ecstatic, but quiet, steady, and hidden in ordinary life? Mark Vernon returns to Nomad to explore silence, mysticism, and the search for God after disillusionment. Reflecting on his own journey through priesthood, contemplative practice, psychotherapy and spiritual direction, Mark speaks about finding a form of Christianity rooted less in performance or certainty, and more in attention, presence and the inner life.
In this conversation, Tim and Mark discuss The Cloud of Unknowing, Julian of Norwich, William Blake, spiritual homelessness, and why the mystical tradition may still have something vital to offer those who feel drawn to Christ but no longer fit easily within institutional church life.
Following the interview Nomad hosts Tim and Anna reflect on their own relationship with mysticism, and the way it has shaped their evolving faith.
Interview starts at 12m 48s
WEBSITE
SOCIALS
BOOKS
Awake!: William Blake and the Power of the Imagination
A Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling, and the Evolution of Consciousness
Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps
BOOKS MENTIONED
QUOTES
“Having the freedom to discover what your point of contact with the divine actually is, is really fundamental.”
“The mysticism I’m talking about is much more like a steady intuition or a calm awareness.”
“Darkness and light go very close together, but the light never gets extinguished.”