What is it that makes us more likely to buy books about contemplation than to go to a silent retreat?

Today's guest, Daniel Coleman, author of Presence and Process: A Path Towards Transformation, is talking with Tripp about meditation, contemplation, and spiritual practice in a pluralistic world.

Given the spiritual trends in America - with the decline of those identifying as religious, and the rise of the mindfulness movement - how do we navigate the waters of spiritual practice?

Daniel talks about how he began to grow dissatisfied with the traditional church experience and longed for a way to live a life of transformation, he experiences with Quaker spirituality - the silent, expectant, waiting worship in a group, which led to an interest in personal contemplative practice, and the differences between his charismatic experiences of God and his contemplative experiences.

Plus, apophatic mysticism, concepts versus felt experience, the role of contemplation in the history of the church, the challenge of introducing Buddhism and Buddhist practice to a Western audience, the difference between salvation and enlightenment, the role that Process thought plays in connecting the contemplative traditions of the East and West, and tips for sticking with a new practice.

You can learn more about Daniel's work at http://www.danielpcoleman.com/

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