| The earth and its creatures are in crisis, and our response will require every resource of the human community. One precious resource from the Catholic tradition is the spiritual vision of Francis of Assisi. His life story and mystical vision of our deep interrelatedness to all creation and God incarnate in all living things challenges us to “ecological conversion” in our personal, communal and institutional lives. Jim Neafsey has been a spiritual director, retreat leader and teacher of Christian spirituality for over 35 years. He has worked in programs for the formation of spiritual directors at Mercy Center in Burlingame, Bread of Life Center in Sacramento, San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto. As adjunct faculty he has taught courses on the Christian Mystics, Spiritual Discernment, and Prayer in the Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries at Santa Clara University. Jim has a Masters of Divinity from Weston School of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation. He has a special interest in the relationship between Christian mysticism and cultural change. |