MATTHEW WRIGHT
A brilliant young man and gifted retreat leader, Matthew was nurtured in the Christian contemplative Wisdom tradition by Cynthia Bourgeault herself. He presides as priest-in-charge for St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, NY, writes frequently for Contemplative Journal, and teaches for Northeast Wisdom and The Contemplative Society. He lives alongside the monks of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY.
His primary interest is Wisdom: not knowing more, but knowing more deeply, fundamentally by the Way of the Heart. Matthew teaches that the heart not only the seat of emotions, but the primary organ of spiritual perception. He works to cultivate this mode of seeing. His contemplative practice is also informed by the Mevlevi Order of Sufism through the teachings of Camille and Kabir Helminski.
He is leading a series of conversations about heart-centered contemplative practice as we understand it from the Desert Mothers and Fathers, along with the relevance of their wisdom for our lives in today’s world. These seminars will offer a lively mix of lecture, group discussion, and guided contemplative practice.
MATTHEW'S RECENT EVENTS
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MATTHEW'S RECENT EVENTS ~
A Conversation with Matthew Wright (part 1)
Opening the Eye of the Heart
September, 29 2021
This series of conversations with an Episcopal priest and Sufi practitioner regarding Prayer of the Heart as understood by the Desert Mothers and Fathers, and current neuroscience, was a highlight of our inaugural season. We are building our shared contemplative practice using his insights along with those offered by our other wisdom teachers.
A Conversation with Matthew Wright (part 2)
Practicing Trinity and Incarnation
January, 23 2022
Saturday, May 14 at 9:00 AM
A Workshop with Matthew Wright (part 3)
The Luminous Gospels:
Thomas and Mary Magdalene
Spend a day absorbing the buried wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers.
Join us for a day-long workshop including lunch on Saturday. We will explore the early Christian Wisdom Gospels of Thomas and Mary Magdalene and their implications for our contemplative practice. These texts came to light in the mid-20th century. They provide new insight into the development of early Christianity, the metaphysics undergirding Jesus’ teaching, and the apostolic authority of Mary Magdalene. Taken together, they offer a map of the human journey from timelessness into time, and finally into conscious union—a journey that unfolds within what Jesus calls “the bridal chamber” of the heart.
