Christine Valters Paintner

Christine Valters Paintner, author of Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire, invites readers to discover and develop their creative gifts in a spirit of prayer and reflection. This twelve-week course draws on the insights and practices of Benedictine spirituality to explore the interplay between contemplation and creativity.Summarized in the phrase "pray and work," The Rule of St. Benedict provides the inspiration for Christine Valters Paintner's newest exploration of the mutually nourishing show more relationship between contemplative practices and creative expression. Artists of all stripes and stations in life--poets or painters, potters or photographers--will discover how traditions of Benedictine, Celtic, and desert spirituality can offer new sources of inspiration for their work.Through this twelve-week course, themes like "Sacred Tools and Sacred Space," "Creative Solitude and Community," and "Nature as a Source of Revelation and Inspiration" are enriched by Paintner's perceptive discussion and enhanced by insightful quotations from well-known artists and writers. Each week offers suggestions for grounding both the creative and the spiritual life through three basic practices: walking, lectio divina, and journaling. In sync with Paintner's vibrant Internet presence, The Artist's Rule is supplemented with online resources, including guided meditation podcasts, video lessons, and discussions. show less

I had high expectations for this book and unfortunately came away disappointed. I loved the incorporation of art and poetry alongside prose, and certainly the topic is one I'm interested in learning more about and incorporating as able/led into my own life. But, the inclusion of references to Islamic calendars/prayer habits, as well as many seemingly New Age practices, made the read seem to me as though it's trying to be "all things to all people" (and not a la Paul in 1 Cor. 9:19-23). It show more came across as a mishmash of religious practices that, to me, do not hold up in light of Scripture.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. show less

"...to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time."
-Georgia O'Keefe
I loved this quote and its impact regarding the material of Eyes of the Heart. It's a book of process. Process takes time...

The first 2 chapters introduce the reader to the idea and practice of simply receiving images from the world around us, as gifts to us for inner exploration. Next chapter introduced shadow and light as spiritual dimensions we can view through the lens as well as our personal interior. By chapter 4 show more we were exploring framing and reframing ourselves and our self-stories just as we can frame and reframe our photo subjects. Colour, our inspiration for chapter 5. Creative sources of reflections of the holy in our world for chapter 6. Self-portraits, our chapter 7 topic. Chapter 8 ties it all together; God is in our seeing. Open the eyes of our heart to see the Divine Presence everywhere. To live in awe and wonder.

Supporting quotes open each chapter, in depth instructional material plus each chapter provides multiple activities for interaction to deepen the learning opportunities; to enrich the inner growth available through intentional practice. eg. Go walking. What images evoke/reflect your deepest dreams/longings/wishes/hopes...? or scripture passages to contemplate,journal and apply.

“..every photo we make is in some way a self-portrait, b/c it reveals something about how we see the world.” What are our photos saying about us? “In a sense your photographs are your autobiography.” –Dorothea Lange. Everyday objects can symbolically represent the self. For me, the teacup icons I use are a self portrait. Stacks of books another. In fact, more representational of me than a single dimension photo visage.

Here is a book intent on breaking down the perpetuation of our false self that wants “to create only images beautiful in the eyes of others or ‘marketable’ rather than truthful.” We must discover our true self – ‘who I am beneath the accolades and achievements’. What desires has God planted in our heart? The exercises included are designed for just such discoveries.

Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice is a personable guide to a life of awareness lived centered in calm and stillness rather than knocked off course by reactive emotions. I highly recommend it for those who wish to live at a deeper than surface level. For those who are ready to take the necessary steps in that direction and for those who pray, "Lord, Open the eyes of my heart"...




*My appreciation to Ave Maria Press for providing an ebook copy for review without obligation.

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having won the Autumn Blessings poetry party from Abbey of the Arts, today i received Christine's autographed prize gift of her new book *Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements*.

i'm already more than pleased in the reading. how about sharing an appetizer with you?

*The element of wind invites us to "open our souls to Being," which means opening ourselves to a God who flows in directions we cannot predict. This element invites us to a radical posture show more of surrender in releasing our hold on our own plans and making room for God to blow us in the most life-giving direction. As a metaphor for God, wind reminds us that God's ways are not our ways. The invitation of wind requires of us a detachment from our own longing to control the direction of our lives and a simultaneous surrender to Spirit to allow ourselves to be carried to places of growth and newness.*

hungry? i know i am. looking forward to much more... show less