2026 Shalem Picks for Contemplative Resources
As Yourself by Caroline Vogel
I have loved Caroline Vogel’s book, As Yourself. Caroline is a Shalem graduate and her book is about how we can take seriously Jesus’s mandate to love ourselves (love your neighbor as yourself). The book is wise and compassionate and full of embodied practices.
– Jehanne Gheith, Board of Directors
Becoming Who You Are by Fr. James Martin
Reading Becoming Who You Are by James Martin SJ changed my life over a decade ago and I’m reminded of it today particularly upon the issuing of his latest work, an autobiography. I identified with Fr. Jim’s search for meaning and purpose beyond what he was currently up to—a corporate job—and in his inspiration from two of my favorite contemplative teachers, Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton. It’s a short & easy to read work that I would recommend to anyone needing a reset or a reminder.
– Anna Franklin, Social Media and Registrar
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
This book is a luminous meditation on the act of forgetting and the power of memory.
– Phillip Stephens, program director of Nurturing the Call: Spiritual Guidance Program
Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times by Gregory Boyle
You may recognize Fr. Greg from his incredible and life changing work with Homeboy Industries, what is now the largest gang-intervention program in the world. Homeboy Industries runs on two unwavering principles: 1) We are all unshakably good (no exceptions), and 2) we belong to each other (no exceptions). Let those words really sink into your heart for a moment. In this latest book, Fr. Greg invites, and challenges, us to, “nurture the connections that are all around us and live with radical kindness.” He suggests that part of our dilemma is that we don’t trust love enough and yet, love is always the next thing to do. In these days of “us versus them,” he asks the question, “What if we believed that we belong to each other?” This book challenges me to be courageous and “walk the talk.”
– Lorie Conway, program director for Transforming Community
The Girl Who Baptized Herself by Megan Watterson
If Amy Molina-Moore sends this in, give her credit, because she recommended it at the Board Retreat! I appreciated the historical and theological reminders and applicable practices offered in this book about one of the “lost” gospels.
– Laura Lee Ernst, Board of Directors
Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor
Barbara Brown Taylor’s Barbara Brown Taylor has long been one of my most trusted guides. Her 2019 book Holy Envy is a luminous account of what happened when she began teaching world religions to college students and found herself unexpectedly moved by the beauty she encountered in traditions not her own. Rather than threatening her faith, these encounters deepened it — and her honesty about that process is itself a spiritual practice. This is essential reading for anyone seeking a more spacious, generous Christianity. I return to it often.
– Julie Pennington-Russell, co-leader of Shalem’s Pilgrimage to Iona
How the Stars Get in your Bones: A Book of Blessings by Jan Richardson
This new collection of blessings brings new perspective in brief inspirations. The collection calls on our deepest selves to be present to the dark times, the times of light, and to welcome all with gratitude.
– Patricia Franklin, Board of Directors
“Turning to the Mystics” Podcast by James Finley
I started listening to James Finley’s CAC podcast, Turning to the Mystics, on my walks during the pandemic. Now in its 13th season, Jim’s insights on the lives and teachings of the mystics continue to nurture my soul. Jim tells us about the historical period of each mystic as well as the contemporary applications of their teachings.
-Lydia Mercado, Board of Directors