CORE faculty
James Finley
Student of Thomas Merton and clinical psychologist, Dr. James Finley teaches how connecting to our Divine indwelling can transcend fear and shame and awaken to our True Self. A faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation, he is the author of Merton’s Palace of Nowhere and The Contemplative Heart, and the host of CAC’s podcast Turning to the Mystics.
What’s New
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In The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation, James Finley offers a window into his recovery from traumatic wounds, offering spiritual guideposts for readers as they walk their own path towards wholeness.
Daily Meditations
Choosing a Contemplative Path
James Finley continues to reflect on how, once we notice the “fire within,” we can commit to the life-changing practice of attending to it. Once we acknowledge this…
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Dialogue 2: The Teacher Arrives
This is the second dialogue session that focuses on the 19th-century mystical text, The Way of a Pilgrim, which covers sections of the first chapter. Resources: The book we…
CAC Publishing
Free Audio Teachings
Drawing on his experience as a clinical psychologist and his knowledge of the Christian mystics, James outlines seven steps that intentionally invite spirituality into the healing encounter in these free audio recordings.
A Story From Jim
My father was a violent alcoholic. Through my mother, a devout Catholic, I kept myself tethered to the presence of God. Sometimes, when having to endure the worst, yet finding God in the darkest place, you are liberated from the tyranny of shame over your heart. Where anguish and ecstasy intersect, it becomes incandescent—it becomes oneness.
“At the deepest level, it does not really matter where you seek this path because it is everywhere”
– Dr. James FInley
Daily Meditations
Wisdom from James Finley
Read Daily Meditations inspired by the words of James Finley.