The Divine Dance

The Trinity is supposed to be the central, foundational doctrine of our entire Christian belief system, yet we're often told that we shouldn't attempt to understand it because it is a ‘mystery’. Should we presume to try to breach this mystery? If we could, how would it transform our relationship with God and renew our lives? The word Trinity is not found in the New Testament—it wasn't until the third century that early Christian father Tertullian coined it—but the idea of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was present in Jesus' life and teachings and from the very beginning of the Christian experience. In the pages of this book, internationally recognized teacher Richard Rohr circles around this most paradoxical idea as he explores the nature of God—circling around being an apt metaphor for this mystery we're trying to apprehend. Early Christians who came to be known as the ‘Desert Mothers and Fathers’ applied the Greek verb perichoresis to the mystery of the Trinity. The best translation of this odd-sounding word is dancing. Our word choreography comes from the same root. Although these early Christians gave us some highly conceptualized thinking on the life of the Trinity, the best they could say, again and again, was, Whatever is going on in God is a flow—it's like a dance. But God is not a dancer—He is the dance itself. That idea might sound novel, but it is about as traditional as you can get. God is the dance itself, and He invites you to be a part of that dance. Are you ready to join in?

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?

The Divine Dance 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.

Are you ready to enter the dance of becoming fully alive? Have you ever wondered, if we have the God of heaven and earth living inside us, why aren’t we experiencing more in life? Why aren’t we seeing more transformation in ourselves, or in others for that matter? What does it look like to have “Jesus in me” anyway, as an individual and also as a woman? These are the questions life coach and pastor Terri Sullivant was asking herself when God answered her in a profound, life-changing way. The Divine Invitation provides a pathway to find what your heart deeply longs for in every area of life. It’s a metaphor showing the way for every woman to enter the dance of becoming fully alive. Learning this dance is about developing a relationship with Jesus, like two people dancing skillfully and gracefully. It’s about becoming so entwined with the thoughts, words, emotions, and behaviors of Jesus that the two of you are one. You find that this deep connection transcends all of life, enabling you to live joyfully and freely, come what may.

The heart of this book is a dramatic love poem, the Rasa Lila, which is the ultimate focal point of one of the most treasured Sanskrit texts of India, the Bhagavata Purana. Judged a literary masterpiece by Indian and Western scholars alike, this work of poetic genius and soaring religious vision is one of the world's greatest sacred love stories and, as Graham Schweig clearly demonstrates, should be regarded as India's Song of Songs. The story presents the supreme deity as the youthful and amorous cowherd, Krishna, who joins his beloved maidens in an enchanting and celebratory "dance of divine love." Schweig introduces this work of exquisite poetry and profound theology to the Western world in the form of a luminous translation and erudite scholarly treatment. His book explores the historical context and literary genre of the work and elucidates the aesthetic and emotional richness of the composition, highlighting poignant details of this drama of divine love. Schweig illuminates the religious dimensions and ethical nuances of the drama, drawing widely from the commentaries and esoteric vision of masters of the Caitanya school of Vaishnavism, a prominent devotional Hindu tradition. Themes such as transcendence of death through love, the yoga of devotion, the contrast between worldly love and passionate love for God, and the dialectical tension between ethical boundaries and boundless love are presented. The final event of the Rasa dance, the author concludes, presents a dynamic symbol of supreme love that provides the basis for a theological vision of genuine religious pluralism.

Carla De Sola has danced in a sacred context for more than fifty years. Over time she has noticed a common bond among dancers, based in part of their developed bodily, or kinesthetic sense, a heightened ability to read and understand the rhythms and dynamics of movement experiences. This was not solely an artistic appreciation of dance but of life experiences seemingly ordinary but consciousness changing. She was led to ask other dancers if they had a story to tell of special times of awareness of Divine presence, that is, their own personal kairos moments --grace-filled happenings beyond ordinary chronos, or clock time, becoming imprinted on their soul. Thus, this collection came into being. The dancers' stories range broadly and in diverse settings. The essays are categorized into sections: Dancing for the Common Good; Dance Moves the Soul; The Joy of Dance; Journey to Awareness;and Called to Dance. Diana Wear wrote theological reflections in order to frame each section. David W. McCauley, Jr. drew upon his artistry, skills, and imagination so that each category was enriched through a visual dimension. The designs, paintings, and photos throughout the book carry a deep purpose--to give readers' eyes a place to rest and space for the mind to contemplate--contributing their own meditative moments.

Dissolve the distractions of ego to find our authentic selves inGod In his bestselling book Falling Upward, Richard Rohrtalked about ego (or the False Self) and how it gets in the way ofspiritual maturity. But if there's a False Self, is there also aTrue Self? What is it? How is it found? Why does it matter? Andwhat does it have to do with the spiritual journey? This booklikens True Self to a diamond, buried deep within us, formed underthe 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 thatprocess is not resuscitation but transformation. Shows how to navigate spiritually difficult terrain with clearvision and tools to uncover our True Selves Written by Father Richard Rohr, the bestselling author ofFalling Upward Examines the fundamental issues of who we are and helps us onour path of spiritual maturity Immortal Diamond (whose title is taken from a line in aGerard Manley Hopkins poem) explores the deepest questions ofidentity, spirituality, and meaning in Richard Rohr's inimitablestyle.

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.