Most Popular Books by Richard Rohr

Dissolve the distractions of ego to find our authentic selves in God In his bestselling book Falling Upward, Richard Rohr talked about ego (or the False Self) and how it gets in the way of spiritual maturity. But if there''s a False Self, is there also a True Self? What is it? How is it found? Why does it matter? And what does it have to do with the spiritual journey? This book likens True Self to a diamond, buried deep within us, formed under the intense pressure of our lives, that must be searched for, uncovered, separated from all the debris of ego that surrounds it. In a sense True Self must, like Jesus, be resurrected, and that process is not resuscitation but transformation. Shows how to navigate spiritually difficult terrain with clear vision and tools to uncover our True Selves Written by Father Richard Rohr, the bestselling author of Falling Upward Examines the fundamental issues of who we are and helps us on our path of spiritual maturity Immortal Diamond (whose title is taken from a line in a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem) explores the deepest questions of identity, spirituality, and meaning in Richard Rohr''s inimitable style.

A valuable new companion journal for the best-selling Falling Upward In Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." The Companion Journal helps those who have (and those who have not) read Falling Upward to engage more deeply with the questions the book raises. Using a blend of quotes, questions for individual and group reflection, stories, and suggestions for spiritual practices, it provides a wise guide for deepening the spiritual journey. . . at any time of life. Explains why the second half of life can and should be full of spiritual richness Offers tools for spiritual growth and greater understanding of the ideas in Falling Upward Richard Rohr is a regular contributing writer for Sojourners and Tikkun magazines This important companion to Falling Upward is an excellent tool for exploring the counterintuitive messages of how we grow spiritually.

The loving, inclusive life and preaching of Francis of Assisi make him a recognizable and beloved saint across many faith traditions. In the ten-year-anniversary edition of Eager to Love, globally recognized spiritual teacher Richard Rohr, OFM, provides for spiritual seekers a pathway to the inclusivity, freedom, and beauty found in the Christian mystical tradition. As an integrative thinker, Rohr expertly weaves psychological insights and literary and artistic references with Franciscan theology, showing that the rich theological contributions of St. Francis, St. Clare, St. Bonaventure, and John Duns Scotus are guiding lights for sincere spiritual seekers.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of the world’s most influential spiritual thinkers, a long-awaited book exploring what it means that Jesus was called “Christ,” and how this forgotten truth can restore hope and meaning to our lives. “Anyone who strives to put their faith into action will find encouragement and inspiration in the pages of this book.”—Melinda Gates In his decades as a globally recognized teacher, Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what is at stake in matters of faith and spirituality. Yet Rohr has never written on the most perennially talked about topic in Christianity: Jesus. Most know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Is the word simply Jesus’s last name? Too often, Rohr writes, our understandings have been limited by culture, religious debate, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the center. Drawing on scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world. “God loves things by becoming them,” he writes, and Jesus’s life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God—except by its own negative choice. When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God, and more about learning to recognize the Creator’s presence all around us, and in everyone we meet. Thought-provoking, practical, and full of deep hope and vision, The Universal Christ is a landmark book from one of our most beloved spiritual writers, and an invitation to contemplate how God liberates and loves all that is.

When Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, he was talking about an utterly different way of relating to human society as we know it. Discover a transformative understanding of faith in Jesus’ Alternative Plan: The Sermon on the Mount by acclaimed spiritual leader and Franciscan priest Richard Rohr. In this updated edition of Jesus’ Plan for a New World, Rohr explores the implications of Christ’s best-known teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, offering a fresh perspective on what it means for Christian life today. Through his insightful analysis and commentary, Rohr explains the historical and cultural context of each of these Bible verses, shedding light on the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ blueprint for an alternative way of being. From the Beatitudes to overturning conventional wisdom and challenging traditional power structures, this paperback book provides guidance and inspiration for those seeking the true heart of their faith. The enlightening book offers a new way of understanding and living as a Christian woman or man, according to the teachings of Jesus. Whether you are a long-time follower of Jesus, a knowledge truth seeker, or are just beginning to study his religious sermons, Jesus’ Alternative Plan: The Sermon on the Mount offers a clear yet challenging look at the vision presented by the holy Jesus. Gain a transformative understanding of his preaching and embark on a spiritual journey toward a complete relationship with the Kingdom of God.

What if changing our perception of God has the potential to change everything? God is not what you think. Visions of an angry, distant, moral scorekeeper or a supernatural Santa Claus handing out cosmic lottery tickets to those who attend the right church or say the right prayer dominate our culture. For many others, God has become irrelevant or simply unbelievable. In The Divine Dance, Fr. Richard Rohr (with Mike Morrell) points readers to an unlikely opening beyond this divinity impasse: the at-times forgotten, ancient mystery of the Trinity—God as utterly one, yet three. Drawing from Scripture, theology, and the deepest insights of mystics, philosophers, and sages throughout history, Fr. Rohr presents a compelling alternative to aloof and fairytale versions of God: One God, belovedly in communion, as All-Vulnerable, All-Embracing, and All-Given to you and me. The Divine Dance makes accessible and practicable the Christian tradition''s most surprising gift... God as Community...as Friendship...as Dance. Are you ready to join in?

“Richard Rohr’s work has been life-changing in my own experience. Over the last twenty years, no other teacher has had a more formative impact on my mind and heart than this unpretentious Franciscan brother. Being set free from the need to perform—to get it right—has been a particularly important gift for me.”—Belden C. Lane, from the foreword A newly revised edition of Richard Rohr''s perennial bestseller, this book reflects and incorporates his years of experience with men''s work as well as changes in society. With Richard Rohr as mentor and guide, men—and women who care about men—will want to study and discuss the ideas presented here. A new foreword from Belden C. Lane emphasizes the need for this work to continue.

In this companion to The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr and Patrick Boland offer forty reflections and practices exploring what it means to live “in Christ.” In his landmark book The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr articulated a transformative view of what it means to recognize Jesus as “Christ”—as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world. Now, in partnership with Patrick Boland, a psychotherapist and member of Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation community, he invites readers to engage with the themes of the book through spiritual practice. Each reflection in this book draws on a key passage of The Universal Christ, paired with prayers, journal prompts, and embodied exercises that invite readers into a more personal encounter with the truth that the presence and compassion of the Christ are in every thing. Whether read daily for the season of Lent or explored over the course of a year, Every Thing Is Sacred is a hope-filled journey into the love at the heart of all things.

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“Order, by itself, normally wants to eliminate any disorder and diversity creating a narrow and cognitive rigidity in both people and systems. Disorder, by itself, closes us off from any primal union, meaning, and eventually even sanity in people and systems. Reorder, or transformation of people and systems, happens when both are seen to work together” – from the preface. Through time, a universal pattern can be found in all societies, spiritualities, and philosophies. We see it in the changing seasons, the stories of Scripture in the Bible, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the rise and fall of civilizations, and even personally in our lives. In this updated version of one of his earliest books, Father Richard Rohr clearly illuminates how understanding and embracing this pattern can give us hope in difficult times and the courage to push through disorganization and even great chaos to find a new way of being in the world. “We are indeed ''saved'' by knowing and surrendering to this universal pattern of reality. Knowing the full pattern allows us to let go of our first order, trust the disorder, and, sometimes even hardest of all—to trust the new reorder. Three big leaps of faith for all of us, and each of a different character.” —from the introduction.

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is America''s most significant and authentic contribution to the history of spirituality, says Richard Rohr. He makes a case that the Twelve Steps relate well to Christian teaching and can rescue people who are drowning in addiction and may not even realize it. To survive the tidal wave of compulsive behavior and addiction, Christians must learn to breathe under water and discover God''s love and compassion. In this exploration of Twelve Step spirituality, Rohr identifies the Christian principles in the Twelve Steps, connecting The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous with the gospel. He draws on talks he has given for over twenty years to people in recovery and those who counsel and live with people with addictive behavior. Rohr offers encouragement for becoming interiorly alive and inspiration for making one''s life manageable for dealing with the codependence and dysfunction (sin) rampant in our society.

There are a number of misconceptions about the Bible. Many look at it as information only, but what they are missing is the key – the Bible is about transformation. World renowned author Richard Rohr invites you to revisit the Bible to experience the Scripture as spirituality. This can help your relationship with God evolve into something more meaningful and fulfilling. This book will help you discover how reading the Bible and understanding it in a new way can change your life. “Only when the two come together, inner and outer authority, do we have true spiritual wisdom. We have for too long insisted on outer authority alone, without any teachings of prayer, inner journey and maturing consciousness. The results for the world and for religion have been disastrous…I offer these reflections to again unite what should have been separated: Sacred Scripture and Christian Spirituality.” – from the introduction. This spiritual companion unearths the Bible’s take on morality, power, wisdom, and the generosity of God in a way that demands a life-changing response from believers. It illustrates the Biblical God as full of grace and abundance, and who calls us to be fully alive in a world full of scarcity, judgement, and fear. Rohr’s intention is to revitalize your relationship with the Bible and leave you feeling hopeful, fulfilled, and better able to embody a Christ-based spirituality. This in turn will help you to change how you treat yourself, others, and the world.

Rohr''s meditations on the daily readings of Lent are not for the sake of mere information, or even for academia (although the author hopes it will satisfy both), but for the sake of our transformation into our original "image and likeness," which is the very image of God. What always and finally matters for all of us is encounter! Father Rohr begins each meditation with a single title or phrase that sums up the point. Then he offers the meditation followed by key passages from the readings. He ends each meditation with a Starter Prayer that invites you to self-disclosure and to enter the wondrous divine dialogue with clarity, insight—and holy desire! "There are two moments that matter. One is when you know that your one and only life is absolutely valuable and alive. The other is when you know your life, as presently lived, is entirely pointless and empty. You need both of them to keep you going in the right direction. Lent is about both. The first such moment gives you energy and joy by connecting you with your ultimate Source and Ground. The second gives you limits and boundaries, and a proper humility, so you keep seeking the Source and Ground and not just your small self."—From the Introduction

Discover the hidden connections between Scripture and your own spiritual life. In Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality, Franciscan friar and bestselling author Richard Rohr lays out his case for a view of the Bible as a living text that can transform your way of seeing the world. This companion to Things Hidden offers a way for you to delve even deeper into a vibrant relationship with God through Scripture. The purpose of this guide is threefold: To allow you to reflect on the major themes running through the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures To learn and engage in Christian contemplative practices that deepen those reflections To set intentions for becoming a more loving and engaged presence in the world. Questions for journaling and reflection, meditation prompts, and prayer practices encourage you to focus on both action and contemplation. Through these concrete lessons in linking Scripture and spirituality, you can find personal meaning in Fr. Richard’s many insights. The guide also contains detailed suggestions for adapting the material for small groups, offering a way for faith communities to grow together in their understanding and appreciation of the Bible.

St. Francis of Assisi may be one of Catholicism’s most popular saints, but he is also perhaps the most misunderstood, often caricatured in birdbaths and gardens. In this Eager to Love Companion Guide, globally recognized teacher Richard Rohr invites readers into the dynamism of Franciscan spirituality. As Pope Francis has also done in several encyclicals, Rohr invites readers into the expansive and inclusive tradition founded on St. Francis’s revolutionary embrace of the teachings of Jesus. It is recommended that this guide is read alongside Rohr’s Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi.

Advent is not about a sentimental waiting for the Baby Jesus --Richard Rohr Advent is a time to focus our expectation and anticipation on the adult Christ, the Cosmic Christ, who challenges us to empty ourselves, to lose ourselves, to surrender. Preparing for Christmas offers daily meditations, prayers, Scripture readings, and questions for reflection for each day of Advent.

An update to the bestselling Falling Upward from Franciscan Father Richard Rohr In the revised and updated edition of Falling Upward, Richard Rohr seeks to help readers come to terms with the two halves of life. In this book, Rohr teaches us that we can’t understand the meaning of "up" until we have fallen "down." More importantly, Rohr describes what "up" can look like in the second half of life. Most of us tend to think of the second half of life in chronological terms, but this book proposes a different paradigm. Spiritual maturity is found "when we begin to pay attention and seek integrity" through a shift from our "outer task" to the "inner task." What looks like falling down can be experienced as falling upward—and is not necessarily connected with aging. This new edition focuses on practical guidance that you can use to live a life of love and meaning in a world of suffering and challenge. Falling Upward is an invitation to living the gospel and a call to ongoing transformation. Gain a spiritual perspective on the "the common sequencing, staging, and direction of life''s arc" and learn how to bring forth your gifts in the second half of life Grapple with difficult feelings, fears, and emotions associated with "great love and great suffering" Learn how we "grow spiritually much more by doing it wrong than by doing it right" Understand why so many of us resist falling into the second half of life Readers of Rohrs previous works and those new to the remarkable teachings of this Franciscan priest will find comfort and inspiration in this guide to lifelong spiritual growth.

• 5-to-10-week study for adults and young adults with appealing video format that prompts engagement and response. • Each participant uses his/her own journal for study and reflection. Each program in this series features two components sold separately: (1) A DVD with five 10-15 minute presentations (one per group), in this case showing Fr. Richard Rohr interacting with a small group of adults, and (2) a participant workbook containing all the material needed by class participants as well as for the facilitator (one each). In this edition, Richard Rohr explores five topics central to Franciscan theology and practice: Atonement Theory Eco-Spirituality The Christ who Existed before Christianity Orthopraxy vs. Verbal Orthodoxy (Living Like Jesus) Mysticism over Moralism DVD sold separately- item 846863020065

“At the heart of this offering is an invitation to be still. Such stillness, however, is not a barren field, devoid of substance. It is a silence replete with beauty. It is what Buddhism refers to as sunyata, the boundlessness that characterizes the truth of existence.” —Mirabai Starr, from the foreword In Silent Compassion: Finding God in Contemplation, Richard Rohr focuses on finding God in the depths of silence. Divine silence is more than the absence of noise; it has a life of its own. We are invited into its living presence to find the wholeness of being and peace it brings. This book will inspire you and show that the peace of contemplation is not something just for monks, mystics, and those divorced from the worries of the world, but rather for all people who can quiet their own mind to listen in the silence. What’s more, this silence can absorb paradoxes, contradictions, and the challenges of life, ultimately connecting us with the great chain of being. While different faiths use different languages and different words, silence can become a common place for all to experience God. In May 2013, the Festival of Faiths conference in Louisville, Kentucky, featured His Holiness the Dalai Lama in an event called “Sacred Silence: Pathway to Compassion.” Richard Rohr was selected as the Christian presence among a small group of “world renowned experts on contemplative practice and compassion.” Others represented Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Silent Compassion curates the Franciscan friar’s talks from that event as well as interviews that place his thoughts in the context of his larger work as founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation. This is an updated and expanded edition of Rohr’s original presentation on the subject.

Many, if not most, people and institutions remain in ''the first half of life'' forever, preoccupied with establishing their identity, climbing, achieving, and performing. If you knew there was a further journey, wouldn''t you choose to do the ''first half'' quite differently? The further journey involves challenges, mistakes, loss of control, even ''necessary suffering'', because that is how we grow. This message of falling down and in fact moving up is the most counter-intuitive message in most of the world religions, including and most especially Christianity. We grow spiritually much more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. The Companion Journal helps those who have (and those who have not) read Falling Upward to engage more deeply with the questions the book raises. Using a blend of quotes, questions for individual and group reflection, stories, and suggestions for spiritual practices, it provides a wise guide for deepening the spiritual journey - at any time of life.

Rohr explains his findings regarding the initiation rites that have been a part of every culture for thousands of years, including the essential lessons that young men learn regarding God.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In his first major work since The Universal Christ, one of our most prominent spiritual voices offers a wholehearted and hope-filled model for the world today, grounded in the timeless wisdom of the Hebrew prophets. “Richard Rohr is one of the great Christian spiritual masters of our time. Of any time.”—James Martin, SJ, author of Come Forth How do we live compassionately in a time of violence and despair? What can we do with our private disappointments and the anger we feel in such an unjust world? In his most personal book yet, Richard Rohr turns to the writings of the Jewish prophets, revealing how some of the lesser-read books of the Bible offer us a crucial path forward today. The prophets’ writings reflect the full spectrum of human maturity. In almost every case, their initial rage and their accusatory words evolve into a profound pathos and lamentation about our shared human condition and the world’s suffering. Through astute critiques of culture and institutions, and their journey from anger to sadness, and ultimately compassion, the prophets exemplify what Rohr calls “sacred criticism”—a distinct approach to confronting evil and injustice that acknowledges the wholeness of history, the interconnectedness of every living being, and the reality of a divine and universal love. In this, they set the stage for Jesus, who follows this identical pattern. Drawing on a century of biblical scholarship and written in the warm, pastoral voice that has endeared Rohr to millions, The Tears of Things breathes new life into ancient wisdom. It paves a path of enlightenment for anyone seeking a compassionate way of living in a hurting world.

Richard Rohr and Andrea Ebert''s runaway best-seller shows both the basic logic of the Enneagram and its harmony with the core truths of Christian thought from the time of the early Church forward.

This perennial book features daily meditations, each written by Rohr and adapted or excerpted from his many written and recorded works. The meditations are arranged around seven themes: Methodology: Scripture as validated by experience, and experience as validated by tradition, are good scales for one''s spiritual worldview Foundation: If God is Trinity and Jesus is the face of God, then it is a benevolent universe. God is not someone to be afraid of, but is the Ground of Being and on our side. Frame: There is only one Reality. Any distinction between natural and supernatural, sacred and profane is a bogus one. Ecumenical: Everything belongs and no one needs to be scapegoated or excluded. Evil and illusion only need to be named and exposed truthfully, and they die in exposure to the light. Transformation: The separate self is the problem, whereas most religion and most people make the "shadow self" the problem. This leads to denial, pretending, and projecting instead of real transformation into the Divine. Process: The path of descent is the path of transformation. Darkness, failure, relapse, death, and woundedness are our primary teachers, rather than ideas or doctrines. Goal: Reality is paradoxical and complementary. Non-dual thinking is the highest level of consciousness. Divine union, not private perfection, is the goal of all religion. Yes, and...is an excellent daily prayer resource for fans of Richard Rohr''s work, and those who are looking for an alternate way to live out their faith--a way centered in the open-minded search for spiritual relevance of a transforming nature.

Drawn from the Gospels, Jesus, Paul, and the great Christian contemplatives, this examination reveals how many of the hidden truths of Christianity have been misunderstood or lost and how to read them with the eyes of the mystics rather than interpreting them through rational thought.

In this small but masterly-crafted book, Richard Rohr addresses what Christianity views as the three traditional sources of evil - the world, the flesh and the devil – to encourage us to look beyond our personal moral failings and give us principles for resisting evil on a wider scale. Exploring how Christianity has focused almost exclusively on individual evil, or the sins of the flesh, he offers a gripping interpretation of Jesus'' teachings and the writings of Paul the Apostle to show how vital it is that we also understand the often subtle and well-disguised evil of the world and the devil. This book offers no easy solutions. Yet, skilfully distilling half a century of teaching and preaching, The World, the Flesh and the Devil will leave you with a greater understanding of evil and its role in the social issues of our time, and better equipped to recognise and fight it. With his characteristic wisdom and compassion, Rohr offers us principles for resisting the social evils pervading our lives, in which we are all complicit, through Christian contemplation and by reaching out to one another in love.

Richard Rohr, internationally known retreat leader, speaker and writer, plumbs the depths of the Job''s story and its relevance for us today. Rohr strips Christian faith down to the essentials, beyond glib answers and a "hand-me-down" experience of God, and points the way to true knowing. In this invigorating exploration, the tension between suffering and faith becomes a powerful means to an authentic, open connection with the divine.

A valuable new companion journal to the bestselling Breathing Under Water! We are all addicted to something, according to Franciscan Father Richard Rohr. This Companion Journal can help you work your way through the wisdom of the twelve-step program as outlined in Breathing Under Water, so you may determine the source of, and solution for, your own addictions. Containing reflections, discussion questions and room to write notes, the Journal encourages you to explore the process in a way that’s relevant and meaningful for you. ‘A must-read for any person who recognizes the need to go “inward” on their soul’s journey to question what their relationship is with God, themselves, and others.’ The Cord ‘Richard Rohr continues to guide us to greater wholeness . . . his books have helped countless souls, especially those who struggle with issues of brokenness and seek transformation.’ National Catholic Reporter

Just This is a collection of brief and evocative meditations and practices that invite us to cultivate the gift of waking up to the beauty of reality in all its glorious ordinariness. With his signature blend of contemplation, theology, and pastoral sensitivity, Fr Richard Rohr creates a spaciousness for the soul to grow into a kind of seeing that goes far beyond merely looking to recognizing and thus appreciating.

The Promise Keepers, a Christian men''s movement, is helping men find direction again. In a new Introduction to The Wild Man''s Journey, Father Richard Rohr acknowledges the movement''s contributions and analyzes its weaknesses, tracing the journey of a man''s life and offering seven promises for a healthy spirityuality for Catholic men.

Deep, personal pain is very real for men. So is the power to transform it. In one of the opening meditations of this book, male spirituality expert Richard Rohr writes, “We need to fail, to fall, to jump into the central mystery of our own existence, or we’ll have no way of finding our true path.” Those words serve as the starting point for a potentially transformative experience, one in which men come to grips with the fact that some form of suffering or letting go is essential to achieving wholeness, holiness, and happiness. With nearly every man dealing with some form of hurt in his life, On the Threshold of Transformation acknowledges the pain and deals with it directly and redemptively. While much of our culture today would have us believe that failure and suffering are inherently bad, Fr. Rohr helps men see that pain—in whatever form it takes—is a primary doorway through which they can pass to reach their authentic, best selves, which is where they will truly encounter God. Ultimately, this book of 366 daily meditations helps men learn how to transform their pain so they don’t pass it on. With Fr. Rohr as their guide, the path to male spiritual transformation can be found and followed.

Over the course of these daily meditations, we will follow the trajectory of life from innocent beginning, through inevitable brokenness, to putting everything back together, through ripening into union--with self, God, the world, and others.