Book Study: The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr

A Book Study in eight monthly sessions

• Third Tuesday of the month
• Oct. 18-May 16, 6:30-8 p.m.
• In person and on line

Facilitated by Fr. Garry Richmeier CPPS

Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, is one of the world’s most influential spiritual thinkers. His book The Universal Christ explores what it means that Jesus was called “Christ” and how this forgotten truth can transform everything we see, hope for, and believe.

Most people know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Is the word simply Jesus’ last name? Too often, Fr. Richard writes, “our understandings have been limited by culture, religious squabbling, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the center”.

Drawing on scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Fr. Richard articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world.

“God loves things by becoming them”, he writes, “and Jesus’ life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God” except by its own negative choice. When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God and more about learning to recognize the Creator’s presence all around us and in everyone we meet.

This book is thought-provoking, practical, and full of deep hope and vision.

Fr. Richard is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal awakening within mystical and transformational traditions. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Fr. Richard’s teaching is grounded in practices of contemplation and lived kenosis (self-emptying), expressing itself in radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized.

How to Prepare

Before the first session, please read the introduction, Ch. 1 “Christ Is Not Jesus’s Last Name,” and Ch. 2 “Accepting That You Are Fully Accepted.” Click here to download discussion questions that will guide us in session one.