Longing for wholeness, or: Letters from with-in.

(Re)Introducing Cloister Notes on Substack.

Welcome to The Cloister.

A place where heart and mind can mingle. Where words create meaning and deepening takes time. Thus The Cloister refers to an interior space, nothing religious really, but still inspired by monastic wisdom, contemplative practice and the Benedictine motto to hold together the love of learning and the desire for God. The latter becomes more and more mysterious to me every day.

I have been always fascinated by monastic places, their sacred architecture, which quietens the soul and sustains the spirit, by their ability to cherish intellectually inquiry as much as spiritual practice and soul care.

“Monastery Stillife.” A view into the city cloister chapel in Berlin, Germany, home to an interdenominational intentional community.

Being trained both a psychologist and a philosopher at German universities I could not get myself to understand how psychology could do without philosophy, and philosophy without theology and theology without therapy.

Bringing together what …