Home / Authors / Richard Rohr

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.

Filter quotes by topic

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

“The school of relationships is where you learn self-knowledge. I just don't know how you could learn it sitting alone in the desert on a rock by yourself. You have to see where you fail at it. And that confrontation with your own ability - "I was again not able to love" - those are the teachable moments.”

Knows Self Moments Able School Ability Know How Failing Rocks Sitting Desert Self Knowledge Confrontation Teachable Sitting Alone Teachable Moments

Author:Richard Rohr

“The ego knows itself by comparison.”

Knows Ego Comparison

Author:Richard Rohr

“The people who know God well - the mystics, the hermits, those who risk everything to find God - always meet a lover, not a dictator. God is never found to be an abusive father or a tyrannical mother, but always a lover who is more than we dared hope for. How different than the "account manager" that most people seem to worship. God is a lover who receives and forgives everything.”

People Knows Wells Different Seems Mother Found Father Risk Lovers Worship Accounts Forgiving Managers Dictator Knowing God Abusive Worship God Hermits Abusive Father

Author:Richard Rohr

“You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain a certain degree of anxiety, and a willingness to not know-and not even need to know. This ever widens and deepens your perspective. This is how you allow and encounter Mystery and move into the contemplative zone.”

Knows Needs Action Moving Certain Strong Grows Ability Mystery Perspective Degrees Anxiety Forgiving Tolerance Contemplation Encounters Zone Willingness Ambiguity Contemplative

Author:Richard Rohr

“Many people I know who are doing truly helpful and healing ministry find their primary support from a couple of enlightened friends, and only secondarily, if at all, from the larger organizations.”

People Ifs Knows Healing Support Couple Organization Primaries Enlightened Helpful Ministry

Author:Richard Rohr

“In the last years, I've been reading the Eastern fathers, the older mystical writings, a rich, deep, and truly traditional Christianity which most Western Christians know almost nothing about. It is very mystical and prayer centered Christianity, with a strong social conscience.”

Knows Writing Years Christian Lasts Reading Father Strong Social Prayer Christianity Rich Conscience Western Traditional Last Year Mystical Eastern

Author:Richard Rohr

“Many people who attack me know so little of that larger Tradition, and end up being not very traditional at all. When you invoke the whole and great Tradition, you end up scaring people who call 1950 America "traditional" Christianity. It is just what they are used to in their one limited lifetime.”

People Knows Littles Ends Whole America Used Christianity Tradition Lifetime Traditional Invoke

Author:Richard Rohr

“It’s a gift to joyfully recognize and accept our own smallness and ordinariness. Then you are free with nothing to live up to, nothing to prove, and nothing to protect. Such freedom is my best description of Christian maturity, because once you know that your “I” is great and one with God, you can ironically be quite content with a small and ordinary “I.” No grandstanding is necessary. Any question of your own importance or dignity has already been resolved once and for all and forever.”

Knows Christian Accepting Forever Protect Prove Ordinary Dignity Importance Maturity Description Smallness Ordinariness Grandstanding

Author:Richard Rohr

“People who’ve had any genuine spiritual experience always know that they don’t know. They are utterly humbled before mystery. They are in awe before the abyss of it all, in wonder at eternity and depth, and a Love, which is incomprehensible to the mind.”

People Knows Mind Spiritual Wonder Mystery Eternity Depth Genuine Awe Abyss Spiritual Experience

Author:Richard Rohr

“People who know how to creatively break the rules also know why the rules were there in the first place.”

People Knows Firsts Break Know How

Book:AARP Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

Source: AARP Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

“A mystic doesn’t say “I believe.” They say “I know.” A true mystic will ironically speak with that self-confidence but at the same time with a kind of humility. So when you see that combination of calm self-confidence, certitude, and humility all at the same time you have the basis for mysticism in general.”

Knows Believe Kind Self Speak I Believe Humility Bases Calm Self Confidence Combination Mysticism Mystic Certitude

Author:Richard Rohr

“The people who know God well—mystics, hermits, prayerful people, those who risk everything to find God—always meet a lover, not a dictator.”

People Knows Wells Risk Lovers Dictator Knowing God Hermits Prayerful Abusive Father

Author:Richard Rohr

“God is always drawing us closer, blow by blow and bit by bit. And most of the time we do not even know it is happening.”

Knows Bits Happenings Blow Drawing

Book:On the Threshold of Transformation

Source: On the Threshold of Transformation

“The gift of darkness draws you to know God’s presence beyond what thought, imagination, or sensory feeling can comprehend.”

Knows Feelings Imagination Darkness Draws Knowing God Sensory God's Presence

Author:Richard Rohr

“What we know about God is important, but what we do with what we know about God is even more important.”

Knows Important

Author:Richard Rohr

“Men must learn how to grieve, or they are inevitably angry or controlling, and they don't even know why.”

Knows Men Angry Grieving

Author:Richard Rohr

“The true mystic is always both humble and compassionate, for she knows that she does not know.”

Knows Doe Humble Compassionate Mystic

Author:Richard Rohr

“Ancients knew that you need guidance, patronage and protection as you move from one place or state to another, whenever you cross a bridge. You had better know what you are doing when you leave one group or place to join another.”

Knows Needs States Moving Groups Crosses Protection Bridges Guidance Patronage

Author:Richard Rohr

“One is struck in the study of saints, angels and gods by a pattern that seems quaint and harmless. Yet, it is so common that I know there must be a deeper meaning. There always seem to be guardians and spirits of doors, bridges, exits and entranceways.”

Knows Seems Spirit Common Study Doors Angel Saint Patterns Deeper Bridges Guardian Exit Quaint Deeper Meaning

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

Similar Authors

Timothy KellerBrowse related quotes
Philip YanceyBrowse related quotes
Rob BellBrowse related quotes
Max LucadoBrowse related quotes
Pope FrancisBrowse related quotes
Aiden Wilson TozerBrowse related quotes
Rick WarrenBrowse related quotes
Joyce MeyerBrowse related quotes
Dallas WillardBrowse related quotes
Billy GrahamBrowse related quotes