VISION AND METHOD
Vision
The study of contemplative paths that we propose is not strictly academic, purely theoretical, unrelated to the inner life. On the contrary, it is justified by the desire to accompany anyone wishing to live a full life. It is thus based on a reminder, an observation and a requirement.
The reminder that this state of peace, joy and contentment is already there; the mystics agree on this point; we are all inhabited by this loving Presence which, deep within, invites us to a renewed life. Remembering this is not without minimizing the difficulty of responding to this invitation.
It is easy to see that confusion is characteristic of the human mind. And it increases further in a society where the benchmarks are shaken and the future uncertain, straddling a world that is ending and another whose contours are still unclear. Hence the crying need for an embodied and enlightened spirituality.
If Christian spirituality still has meaning, it is from this state of confusion that it must show the way; the requirement is then to transform the impasse into a passage, to envisage the confusion in order to overcome it. This requires anchoring the reflection on the contemplative paths in the human being and the various aspects of his condition. Self-knowledge and the most trivial daily life are the mirror in which we glimpse a contemplative renewal, based on the capacity to simplify oneself in order to let the divine Presence act inside and outside oneself.
Before setting out the method by which we intend to apply our vision, it is appropriate to briefly define contemplation and theology. Contemplation relates to the non-dual and experienced awareness of the divine life in oneself, and theology is the intellectual effort to understand the transformation that this awareness entails on the personal and collective levels.
The study of contemplative paths that we propose is not strictly academic, purely theoretical, unrelated to the inner life. On the contrary, it is justified by the desire to accompany anyone wishing to live a full life. It is thus based on a reminder, an observation and a requirement.
The reminder that this state of peace, joy and contentment is already there; the mystics agree on this point; we are all inhabited by this loving Presence which, deep within, invites us to a renewed life. Remembering this is not without minimizing the difficulty of responding to this invitation.
It is easy to see that confusion is characteristic of the human mind. And it increases further in a society where the benchmarks are shaken and the future uncertain, straddling a world that is ending and another whose contours are still unclear. Hence the crying need for an embodied and enlightened spirituality.
If Christian spirituality still has meaning, it is from this state of confusion that it must show the way; the requirement is then to transform the impasse into a passage, to envisage the confusion in order to overcome it. This requires anchoring the reflection on the contemplative paths in the human being and the various aspects of his condition. Self-knowledge and the most trivial daily life are the mirror in which we glimpse a contemplative renewal, based on the capacity to simplify oneself in order to let the divine Presence act inside and outside oneself.
Before setting out the method by which we intend to apply our vision, it is appropriate to briefly define contemplation and theology. Contemplation relates to the non-dual and experienced awareness of the divine life in oneself, and theology is the intellectual effort to understand the transformation that this awareness entails on the personal and collective levels.
Method
If in our materialistic society the need for spirituality is crying out, so is the confusion in this area. The impressive offer of practices and the lack of knowledgeable support contribute to this. However, the contemplative paths agree on the importance of discernment (action of distinguishing) to dissipate confusion (action of mixing).
A holistic approach
Hence the relevance of a theology that is not only cerebral, but centered on the experience of the divine Presence. The experienced silence is here the base of a rigorous reflection.
However, if in matters of spirituality, experience is crucial, it is not everything; it is still necessary to interpret it according to a coherent vision of the world in such a way as to integrate and deepen it.
Hence the importance of studying the contemplative paths that have proven themselves over time. Aspiring to a full life is universal and everyone is capable of it, but finding access to it is not easy. The obstacles are many. How to listen to these witnesses, these men and women, who, within the various religious and philosophical currents, remind us of the path from one generation to another.
The Christian contemplative tradition has a rich and profound knowledge, too little known, on how to access this life in fullness. Solars Experience proposes to highlight it from a theological perspective, with the aim of showing its relevance in today's society, in a spirit of openness and without proselytism.
We therefore offer a place where experience and theory, intuition and reason, artistic intelligence and intellectual rigor meet. Our approach is holistic; it takes into account the various dimensions of the human condition, physical, intellectual, affective and spiritual.
We therefore offer a place where experience and theory, intuition and method, faith and reason, non-duality and thought, artistic intelligence and intellectual rigor meet. Our approach is holistic; it takes into account the various dimensions of the human condition, physical, intellectual, affective and spiritual.
The word Solars reflects this alliance. It is the combination of two Latin words, Sol (sun) and Ars (art): the way, the practice that points to what is ultimate, beyond, pure grace.
A dialogical approach
A holistic approach calls for a dialogue that we envisage at several levels, between the heart and the head first, but also with other contemplative paths (Buddhists, Hindus, Sufis, natives, etc.), the sciences (anthropology, psychology, neurology, etc.), the arts (poetry, cinema, dance, painting, etc.), nature (fauna, flora, minerals, the cosmos, etc.) and the dominant aspects of our society (pluralism, transhumanism, psychedelic therapies, mindfulness meditation, etc.).
We believe that only a fundamentally dialogical theology is capable of recapturing its mystical and contemplative dimension for our contemporaries. A theological discourse withdrawn into itself cuts itself off from the real lives and concerns of individuals who are increasingly interconnected, but whose relationships are increasingly fragile.
Doing theology differently
Our intention is to put theology and academic tools at the service of an embodied spirituality accessible to all. We offer everyone the opportunity to learn about research and discernment so as to become autonomous in exploring contemplative paths in resonance with their own interiority.
If in our materialistic society the need for spirituality is crying out, so is the confusion in this area. The impressive offer of practices and the lack of knowledgeable support contribute to this. However, the contemplative paths agree on the importance of discernment (action of distinguishing) to dissipate confusion (action of mixing).
A holistic approach
Hence the relevance of a theology that is not only cerebral, but centered on the experience of the divine Presence. The experienced silence is here the base of a rigorous reflection.
However, if in matters of spirituality, experience is crucial, it is not everything; it is still necessary to interpret it according to a coherent vision of the world in such a way as to integrate and deepen it.
Hence the importance of studying the contemplative paths that have proven themselves over time. Aspiring to a full life is universal and everyone is capable of it, but finding access to it is not easy. The obstacles are many. How to listen to these witnesses, these men and women, who, within the various religious and philosophical currents, remind us of the path from one generation to another.
The Christian contemplative tradition has a rich and profound knowledge, too little known, on how to access this life in fullness. Solars Experience proposes to highlight it from a theological perspective, with the aim of showing its relevance in today's society, in a spirit of openness and without proselytism.
We therefore offer a place where experience and theory, intuition and reason, artistic intelligence and intellectual rigor meet. Our approach is holistic; it takes into account the various dimensions of the human condition, physical, intellectual, affective and spiritual.
We therefore offer a place where experience and theory, intuition and method, faith and reason, non-duality and thought, artistic intelligence and intellectual rigor meet. Our approach is holistic; it takes into account the various dimensions of the human condition, physical, intellectual, affective and spiritual.
The word Solars reflects this alliance. It is the combination of two Latin words, Sol (sun) and Ars (art): the way, the practice that points to what is ultimate, beyond, pure grace.
A dialogical approach
A holistic approach calls for a dialogue that we envisage at several levels, between the heart and the head first, but also with other contemplative paths (Buddhists, Hindus, Sufis, natives, etc.), the sciences (anthropology, psychology, neurology, etc.), the arts (poetry, cinema, dance, painting, etc.), nature (fauna, flora, minerals, the cosmos, etc.) and the dominant aspects of our society (pluralism, transhumanism, psychedelic therapies, mindfulness meditation, etc.).
We believe that only a fundamentally dialogical theology is capable of recapturing its mystical and contemplative dimension for our contemporaries. A theological discourse withdrawn into itself cuts itself off from the real lives and concerns of individuals who are increasingly interconnected, but whose relationships are increasingly fragile.
Doing theology differently
Our intention is to put theology and academic tools at the service of an embodied spirituality accessible to all. We offer everyone the opportunity to learn about research and discernment so as to become autonomous in exploring contemplative paths in resonance with their own interiority.