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🎬 About this episode
In this conversation I am joined by Bishop Erik Varden, a Cistercian monk and Catholic bishop of the diocese of Trondheim (Norway), for a fascinating exploration of monasticism in the modern world. From "secular monks" in Silicon Valley to the deep wisdom of the Christian contemplative tradition, this conversation delves into what ancient monastic practices can teach us about being human in the digital age.
📚 Episode notes
Bishop Erik Varden is the author of "The Shattering of Loneliness", "Entering the Twofold Mystery," "Chastity," and the forthcoming "Healing Wounds." In 2025, he has began contributing to the podcast "The Desert Fathers in a Year," which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwXvWkg8g3rhE1G0oKlsWNA. He also publishes regularly in his blog: https://coramfratribus.com/
People mentioned in the video:
Thomas Merton (20th century Cistercian monk)
Father Bede Griffiths (monk who explored Eastern traditions)
Henry Le Saux (Abhishiktananda) - monk who moved to India
St. Benedict (6th century, author of the Rule that defines Western monastic life)
St. Athanasius of Alexandria (4th century theologian)
Evagrius (4th century monastic father from Asia Minor)
St. Augustine (author of "Confessions")
Jack Dorsey (Twitter founder, mentioned in context of "secular monasticism")
Composers: Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Rachmaninoff
🕖 Chapters
0:00:00 Intro
0:01:15 Difference between bishop and monk?
0:03:38 Can we secularize monasticism?
0:07:30 Thomas Merton, Hindu and Christian monks
0:14:01 What has the monastic tradition taught us about being human?
0:18:25 Is contemplation in competition with rational enquiry?
0:21:37 What is contemplation?
0:27:56 Is prayer a form of knowledge?
0:29:58 Does the monk lead a life of leisure or of work?
0:33:22 What has art to do with monasticism?
0:40:05 Why is there ugliness in Christianity?
0:44:29 Who are your major artistic influences?
0:48:17 Can we find God in the ordinary and mundane?
0:54:26 How to distinguish desire and longing?
0:59:09 Chastity: repression vs satisfaction?
1:07:10 How to begin looking for God?
🎙️ Who are we?
La Encrucijada is a podcast that explores the intersection of philosophy, cognitive science and religion, in search for the eternal and controverted question about ultimate meaning. Available in all main podcast platforms.
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laencrucijada
#monk #monasticism #prayer #spirituality #contemplation #wisdom