MIRROR OF THE SOUL: Experiencing the Psalm as Contemplative Prayer

In ancient and modern monastic spirituality the chanting of psalms is believed to have the power of both purifying the soul and enabling the Christian to perceive God’s inner purposes (“logoi”) embedded within history and creation. In this workshop the monastic tradition of psalmody will be studied and practiced by participants in order to help them appreciate three spiritual levels or uses of the Psalter: first, the psalms as a means of repentance and inner transformation; second, the Psalter as a mirror of one’s relationships in the world; and third, the Psalter as a window into heaven. In ancient and modern monastic spirituality the chanting of psalms is believed to have the power of both purifying the soul and enabling the Christian to perceive God’s inner purposes (“logoi”) embedded within history and creation. In this workshop the monastic tradition of psalmody will be studied and practiced by participants in order to help them appreciate three spiritual levels or uses of the Psalter: first, the psalms as a means of repentance and inner transformation; second, the Psalter as a mirror of one’s relationships in the world; and third, the Psalter as a window into heaven.