Oneing: Perfection (PDF Download)

Established in 2013, ONEING is the biannual journal of the Center for Action and Contemplation. Renowned for its diverse and deep exploration of mysticism and culture, ONEING is grounded in Richard Rohr’s teachings and wisdom lineage. Each issue features a themed collection of thoughtfully curated essays and critical perspectives from spiritual teachers, activists, modern mystics, and prophets of all religions. 

It is quite unfortunate that the ideal of perfection has been applied to human beings. Strictly speaking, perfection can only be attributed to the Divine Self. Such a false goal has turned many religious people into pretenders or deniers—very often both. It has created people who, lacking compassion, have made impossible demands on themselves and others, resulting in a tendency toward superiority, impatience, dismissiveness, and negative/critical thinking. True perfection, it seems, is usually well-hidden or disguised. It will always look like something else. It will often look like imperfection. The only real perfection of which humans are capable is to include, absorb, forgive, and transform all human imperfection. Humans are transformers much more than self-sufficient generators. Such is the character of a whole (and holy) human being.

This issue features contributions from Richard Rohr, Gigi Ross, Joseph F. Schmidt, Christianne Squires, Mirabai Starr, Jack Jezreel, James Alison, David G. Benner, Timothy King, Russ Hudson, Gayle Scott, and Rumi.

Vol. 4, No. 1, Spring 2016

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