A Litany for a Lost Lineage: Abbots Oderisius I & II
In August of 2009 I had the good fortune to travel to the Abruzzo region of central Italy to celebrate my second cousin’s First Communion. My family has deep roots in this area. My father was born there, and my mother’s family originates from a neighboring mountaintop community. The ceremony was conducted at the remarkable former abbey church of San Giovanni in Venere (Saint John in Venus, founded upon an ancient Roman temple to Venus, as was often the case for Benedictine fo
Thomas Merton’s France: A Virtual Pilgrimage
Oh, what a thing it is, to live in a place that is so constructed that you are forced, in spite of yourself, to be at least a virtual contemplative! (SSM, 42) In the Spring of 2026, my wife and I travelled to the Pyrénées-Orientales and Midi-Pyrénées (Occitanie) regions of southwest France to explore the beauty and cultural richness of these locations but more specifically to trace the footsteps of Thomas Merton’s France. Merton was born in Prades, now a small bustling c
To “Be a Mountain Diviner!”: Thomas Merton’s Ecological Consciousness
To “Be a Mountain Diviner!”: Thomas Merton’s Ecological Consciousness Presented at the 19th General Meeting of the International Thomas...
Come Holy Spirit: Help Us Forget Who We Are
A Sermon Delivered at Christ Episcopal Church, Eureka, California Pentecost Sunday May 19, 2024 David M. Odorisio, PhD Someday, after...
Reflections on Thomas Merton and Hinduism
Swagatam: A Celebration of India Speed Museum, Louisville, KY November 18, 2021 Om asato mā sad gamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, mṛtyor...
Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel: Biological God(dess)
This past summer, religious studies scholar Jeffrey Kripal offered the annual symposium in the Mythological Studies program at Pacifica...
“Contemplating Wounds”: The Spiritual Vision of Julian of Norwich
+ Here is a vision shown by the goodness of God to a devout woman, and her name is Julian, who is a recluse at Norwich and still alive,...
Phoenix Force and Feminine Jouissance: Reading Myth in Comic Books and Pop Culture
Interview questions by Devon Deimler, Ph.D.c. Click here for the original post via Pacifica Post You began forming your Joseph Campbell...
To "Stay Open-Eyed in the Terrible Place": Opening Remarks on the Art & Alchemy o
On Monday, August 21st the entirety of North America experienced a partial or total solar eclipse. With its direct path stretching...
Logan: Re-visioning Mutants as Mystics
We are indeed mutants. ~ Jeffrey J. Kripal, “Mutant Marvels” in The Serpent’s Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion I’ve...
