Campolo: Roman Catholic Mystics Drive Revival

Dedicated to The Virginia Baptist Mission Board, who is bringing Tony Campolo to speak to the 185th BGAV Meeting in November...

D. Scott Miller is the coordinator for adolescent faith formation for the Division of Youth and Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He is the editor of the Catholic Youth Minstry Blog.

Miller interviewed Tony Campolo regarding Campolo's book, The God of Intimacy and Action .

Highlights of the interview included:

Campolo maintains that Catholic mystics drove the evangelism of John Wesley. Wesley was not impressed with the Reformers, i.e., Calvin, Luther. Instead Wesley read the Roman Catholic mystics, i.e., St Ignatius, St Theresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, St Francis Assissi.

Campolo asserts that the great social movements that were characterized by the Wesleyan revival really grew out of the spirituality of Roman Catholic mystics.

Jesuit priests have the type of spirituality that Campolo had been seeking in Protestantism. Campolo believes that the 21st century will bring about a cross fertilization of Roman Catholic and protestant theologians.

Campolo believes that " we are looking for a mystical experience with Christ...to make us social activists of the highest order."

THE GOD OF INTIMACY AND ACTION: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice (Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint; October 2008; $14.95; Paper; ISBN: 978-0-470-34521-4) by Tony Campolo and Mary Albert Darling uncovers mystical “holy habits” that modern people can employ to open themselves further to God, thereby nurturing and deepening their spiritual intimacy. Quelling fears that these contemplative practices are inaccessibly “New Age”, the authors spend the first part of the book culling the lives of Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, Catherine of Siena, and Methodist preacher and activist John Wesley for their wisdom, vitality, and joy. The second part explores how rituals such as the prayer of examen, lectio divina, and centering prayer can cultivate an intimacy with God that results in a passionate commitment to bring salvation to the lost and to work for justice for all of the poor and oppressed of creation.

See related article: Vatican: Lectio Divina is Privileged Ecumenical Method.