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Richard Rohr Quotes

Priest

Richard Rohr is an American theologian, writer, and priest, born in 1943. He is known for his profound insights into Christian spirituality and his critical thinking about contemporary society.

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All People Ifs Jesus World Thinking Knows Self Needs Way Firsts Christian Ego Levels Spiritual Suffering Giving Half Real Humility Pain

Famous Richard Rohr Quotes

“Once God and grace move us to the second half of life, religion becomes a mystical matter, rather than a moral matter.”

Matter Moving Half Moral Grace Mystical

Author:Richard Rohr

“When you do the first half of life well, you have a good sense of yourself.”

Firsts Wells Half Good Sense

Author:Richard Rohr

“The movement toward gratitude, authenticity, and union is the natural and organic inner work of the second half of our lives.”

Natural Half Our Lives Movement Gratitude Unions Authenticity

Author:Richard Rohr

“There has to be a womp on the side of the head that defeats and undercuts this game of performance. It has to fall apart. Now unfortunately, that very often does not happen until what I call the second half of life, when there's been enough death in the family and you start experiencing your own physical deterioration.”

Doe Enough Happens Fall Games Sides Half Performances Defeat Falling Apart Deterioration

Author:Richard Rohr

“There are three things we have to let go of. The first is the compulsion to be successful. Second, is the compulsion to be right-especially theologically right. (That's merely an ego trip, and because of this "need" churches split in half, with both parties prisoners of their own egos.) Finally, there is the compulsion to be powerful, to have everything under control.”

Needs Firsts Three Church Powerful Party Half Successful Letting Go Ego Being Successful Prisoner Splits Three Things Compulsion Ego Trip

Author:Richard Rohr

“People wanted to me to describe more about what I call "the container," and then describe what the second half of life feels like.”

People Feels Wanted Half Containers

Author:Richard Rohr

“What I wish I had said in the book [Falling Upward] is that part of the attraction of conservative religions, such as Mormonism, Mennonite, Amish, groups we would consider very traditional, is that they actually do the first half of life very well. They are often very happy people.”

People Firsts Wells Said Book Fall Wish Half Groups Conservative Attraction Traditional Very Happy Happy People Mormonism Amish

Author:Richard Rohr

“When you do the first half of life well, you have a good sense of yourself. Most of our mainline Christian denominations, in my opinion, don't do the first or second halves very well. We don't really give people a good container, we give them a bunch of legalisms.”

People Giving Firsts Wells Christian Half Opinion Bunch Good Sense Denominations Containers Legalism Christian Denominations

Author:Richard Rohr

“We don't have much wisdom about the second half when things really open up and end up looking a lot more progressive. In my own Catholic church, for example, we're sort of circling the wagons today by thinking that more moral strictures, more exclusionary rules on this or that, that that's going to do for the first half of life. I don't think it really does.”

Thinking Firsts Doe Ends Today Church My Own Half Moral Example Catholic Progressive Catholic Church Wagons

Author:Richard Rohr

“I think it's important to remember that by the second half of our lives, we are meant to see in wholes, and no longer just in parts.”

Thinking Important Remember Half Our Lives

Author:Richard Rohr

“The big truth for men is that often we have to leave home in the first half of life before we can return home at a later stage and find our soul there.”

Men Firsts Soul Home Bigs Half Stage Return

Book:On the Threshold of Transformation

Source: On the Threshold of Transformation

“In the second half of life, people have less power to infatuate you. But they also have much less power to control you or hurt you.”

People Hurt Half

Book:Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life -- A Companion Journal

Source: Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life -- A Companion Journal

“Heartbreaks, disappointments and even our own weaknesses can serve as stepping-stones to the second half of life transformation. Failings are the foundation for growth. Those who have fallen, failed or 'gone down' are the only ones who understand 'up.'”

Growth Inspiring Half Gone Failing Weakness Stones Transformation Foundation Disappointment Fallen Stepping Stones

Author:Richard Rohr

About the Author

Born: 1943
Known for: Priest
Quotes: 286

Books & Sources

Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of LifeRelated source material

AARP Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of LifeRelated source material

Adam's Return: The Five Promises of Male InitiationRelated source material

Immortal Diamond: The search for our true selfRelated source material

On the Threshold of TransformationRelated source material

Things Hidden: Scripture as SpiritualityRelated source material

Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve StepsRelated source material

Just ThisRelated source material

The Enneagram: A Christian PerspectiveRelated source material

A Lever and a Place to Stand: The Contemplative Stance, the Active PrayerRelated source material

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