Episode 5: Wilderness Mysticism with Stephen Hatch

Stephen Hatch, M.A. is a contemplative teacher, thinker, photographer and writer.  For the past thirty years, he has have lived as a "Worldly Monk," combining family life with meditation, silence, solitary time spent hiking and camping in the wilds, a simple lifestyle, and mindfulness. He has a B.A. from Colorado State University in Philosophy and Religion, and an M.A. from Iliff School of Theology. In the 1980s, he trained with Thomas Keating and then worked for several years with Contemplative Outreach, the organization Keating established to teach centering prayer. Formerly he was on the faculty of Naropa University, Boulder, CO where he taught contemplative Christianity. Stephen practices Wilderness Mysticism, a wisdom tradition he developed that has its roots in Christian Mysticism. He also considers himself "Interspiritual," drawing on contemplative insights from many different traditions, including especially Buddhism and Native American Spirituality. Hinduism, Sufism, Taoism, Contemplative Judaism and the works of American Nature Writers. On the podcast he discusses how wilderness mysticism is grounded in Christian mysticism, the use of nature imagery as a spiritual practice, divine union, awe and wonder, interspiritual practice, Thomas Keating and the practice centering prayer, a form of non-conceptual Christian meditation, the two scriptures - the Bible and Nature, naturalist John Muir’s spirituality and his role in founding the Sierra Club and the U.S. national parks, and how contemplation can contribute to healing the modern world.Stephen’s Website and BooksBelden Lane on Geography, Landscape and SpiritualityThomas Keating, Open Mind Open Heart – the Christian contemplative tradition and the practice of Centering Prayer. Contemplative OutreachAdam Bucko & Rory McEntee, New Monasticism: An Interspiritual Manifesto for Contemplative LivingJoanna Macy, World as Lover, World as SelfThe All Things Contemplative Blog