Unteachable Lessons: Why Wisdom Can't Be Taught

by Carl McColman, Brian McLaren (Foreword)

Why Christian spirituality must be "caught" rather than "taught." We speak of spirituality as a “journey,” which implies not only a destination toward which we travel, but countless adventures encountered along the way. The journey is the destination—both at once. We may all be trying to get to the heart of God, but there are infinite ways to get there.  Can wisdom collected along the pilgrim path even be captured in words, codified into a book? Probably not. And why do the wisest books refuse to offer glib formulas or step-by-step instructions for happiness or enlightenment? Why are the great spiritual classics mostly just an invitation to keep our eyes, ears—and especially hearts—open? Because we’re often stumbling on miracles while we’re looking for something else. Using engaging and disarming stories from his own life, Carl McColman, a leading author of books in spirituality, gently leads readers toward a recognition that although the wisdom of the past is worth reading, hearing or reading others’ experience of God is ultimately no substitute for opening our own eyes, ears, and hearts to God.

160 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2019

About the author

Carl McColman writes about the spiritual life, covering topics like mysticism (The Big Book of Christian Mysticism), contemplative prayer (Answering the Contemplative Call), monastic spirituality (Befriending Silence), Celtic traditions (An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom), Paganism (The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism), and Wicca (When Someone You Love is Wiccan).

He is also a blogger (www.patheos.com/blogs/carlmccolman) and podcaster(www.encounteringsilence.com) .

Why did Carl McColman, a Catholic author, write books about Paganism? Read the answer here: www.patheos.com/blogs/carlmccolman/20...

Reviews

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Some lessons need to be experientially learned. 

It would be wonderful if there were some curriculum, or better yet, some magic trick, where everyone would completely learn wisdom. But that is not how wisdom or life work. Many lessons, as frustrating as it is to many parents, have to be experienced.

Carl McColman has had a lot of experiences. And with himself as the primary subject, he recounts how even when he theoretically could see the wisdom in the distance, he still often had to experientially learn before he was able to start to put these lessons into practice.

The book opens with his introduction to a 7-year-old girl that would become his stepdaughter. She was significantly disabled from a stroke and other congenital disabilities. McColman had to learn how to be a husband and father experientially. Some mistakenly suggest that things like marriage or parenting are the only ways to learn maturity. McColman doesn't do that, but he does show how those roles did force him to think differently about his life and how to reorient his priorities.

The lessons of this book all concern issues that McColman had to learn, but they are not tightly connected. They are more oriented around his life than a strict structure. Some of the lessons are about spiritual practices like silence, or how emotional and intellectual development works, or on Christian relationships with other Christians or with other faiths completely. If I have a complaint, it is that I didn't think the chapters tied together all that well. But that is a pretty minor complaint because that isn't really what the book is about. The book is about the fact that many lessons that we need to learn are not easily taught in a book. We need to be open to learning through experience. And what we learn through our experiences may not be exactly what others are learning through their experiences. (That is part of why as Christians, we need the whole body of Christ.)

Right now, the book is on sale for $2.99 on kindle. That is probably only through the end of this month, a couple of days from now. But if you like reading about spiritual practices and reflecting on your faith by reflecting on your life events' shape, I think this is a beneficial book.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my Amazon review:

Carl McColman presents a beautifully humble portrait of his own “unteachable” lessons, emerged from his own life experiences. Unteachable Lessons offers hope for those slowly wandering into the “second half of life” (spiritually). Carl shows how God breaks in through the extraordinary challenges of raising his severely disabled daughter, through the seeming emptiness of silence, and even through pagan religion.

The author does not shy away from his nerdiness (which I love). I found his style engaging and his stories speaking to some things I have experienced in my life but never fully noticed before. Our tradition often presents God as one to be placated, but the contemplative tradition beautifully holds the mystery of God’s transcendence with immanence, God’s power and might with God’s gentleness and humility. I especially appreciated Carl’s appreciation of written prayer, which I can be quick to dismiss as a prayer form only for beginners. He reminds the reader that God can be accessed just as much through externals, rituals, and feelings as through silence. I’m tempted to pick up one of Carl’s other books to dive further into the contemplative tradition of silence and centring prayer. The spiritual life is such a journey, but Unteachable Lessons remind us that the slow journey is okay.

[Alison Umminger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished McColman's most recent book, which is a wonderfully conversational memoir about his own spiritual journey. McColman's discussion of the need for interfaith engagement and conversation is particularly strong. While the central premise of the book is that wisdom is not something one learns from a book, a person can certainly be inspired to set off for new territory by this glimpse into the riches gleaned from a contemplative life. Highly recommend for anyone interested in contemplative Christianity, Christian mysticism, prayer, or interfaith dialogue.

[Nancy Flinchbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An authentic, autobiographical exploration of the spiritual life. Carl shares his journey and internal conflicts overcoming fears and releasing into love. He wraps his personal story within his deep knowledge of scripture and theological readings. As his life opens into this book, you will discover anew the value of contemplative silence, interfaith connections and prayer.

[Judith Valente · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carl McColman has a wonderful new book, "Unteachable Lessons: Why Wisdom Can't Be Taught (and Why That's Okay)." For me, Carl is one of the foremost authors on living the contemplative life. I highly recommend his book.