Angeles Arrien
• Cultural anthropologist and educator
• Consultant to businesses, organizations, and institutions
• Founder and President of the Angeles Arrien Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research.
Robert N. Bellah
• Elliott Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of California
• Expert on role of religion in pre-modern and modern societies
• Best-selling author on American culture
• Featured in The Practicing Democracy Project
Daniel Berrigan
• Catholic priest, teacher, poet, and retreat leader
• Nonviolent peace and justice activist
• Member of a Jesuit community in New York City
• Featured in The Practicing Democracy Project
Robert Bly
• Minnesota's first poet laureate
• Extensive translator of poetry from around the world
• Key figure in the mythopoetic men's movement
Marcus J. Borg
• Jesus scholar and fellow of The Jesus Seminar
• Accessible teacher of the Christian way as a path of transformation
• Progressive Christian and advocate for compassion and justice
Beatrice Bruteau
• Christian philosopher
• Founder of Schola Contemplatonis, a network of contemplatives
• Pioneer of interspirituality
Frederick Buechner
• Writer of Christian devotional literature
• Novelist and memoirist
• Ordained Presbyterian minister
Sri Chinmoy
• International spiritual leader, author, poet
• Devoted his life to the pursuit of world peace
• Founder of Sri Chinmoy Centres International
William Sloane Coffin
• Peace and justice activist
• Eloquent speaker on the importance of faith and hope
• Preacher in the prophetic tradition of Protestant Christianity
• Featured in The Practicing Democracy Project
David A. Cooper
• Retreat leader and meditation guide
• Teacher of Jewish Mysticism
• Rabbi
James G. Cowan
• Australian-born world traveler and student of spiritual traditions around the globe
• Advocate of Australian Aboriginal traditions
• Novelist and poet
Ram Dass
• Wise mentor for those on the path of compassionate service
• Pioneer writer on the benefits of being present
• Spiritual scout exploring the territory ahead
Anthony de Mello
• Jesuit priest and psychotherapist
• World renown speaker and workshop leader at spiritual conferences
• Pioneer of multifaith practices and storytelling
John S. Dunne
• Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame
• Catholic priest
• Musician and composer
Wayne Dyer
• Bestselling self-help author
• Storyteller and interpreter of religious classics
• Popular workshop leader on television
Eknath Easwaran
• Founder of the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation in California
• Erudite and compassionate spiritual teacher
• Translator and interpreter of Indian religious texts
Debbie Ford
• Author of bestselling books on shadow work
• Founder of the Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching
• Expert in the field of personal transformation
Jim Forest
• Convert to the Russian Orthodox Church
• Served for twelve years as General Secretary of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation
• Journalist and Writer
Frederick Franck
• Artist, sculptor, Renaissance man
• Bridge builder and transreligious visionary with an appreciation of the sacred core of all human beings
• Prolific writer on the meaning of being human against all odds
Bernie Glassman
• Zen Master
• Speaker and workshop leader on spiritual practices and socially responsible businesses
• Cofounder of the Zen Peacemaker Order
Peter J. Gomes
• Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard University
• Pusey Minister in The Memorial Church, Harvard
• Distinguished American Preacher
• Featured in The Practicing Democracy Project
Andrew M. Greeley
• Roman Catholic priest and influential Catholic thinker
• Researcher on the sociology of religion
• Prolific writer of books on religion, including a series of bestselling novels
Margaret Guenther
• Episcopal priest, spiritual director, and retreat leader
• Professor of Ascetical Theology at General Theological Seminary in New York
• Writer on the importance of prayer and listening in the spiritual life
Edward Hays
• Catholic priest
• Creator of vivid parables, psalms, and stories
• Artist of prayer
James Hillman
• Founder of the Archetypal Psychology movement
• Author, lecturer, and scholar in Jungian and Post-Jungian thought
• Leader of men's retreats
Jose Hobday
• Native American elder and storyteller
• Catholic sister of the Franciscan Order
• Lecturer and workshop leader
Alan Jones
• Episcopal priest and Dean Emeritus of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco
• Honorary Canon of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres
• Inspiring preacher, speaker, and community leader
• Writer of multiple books on spiritual direction, new visions for Christianity, and the spiritual practice of imagination
Thomas Keating
• Co-founder of the Centering Prayer movement
• Master teacher of contemplative prayer and devotion
• Catholic abbot and participant in multifaith dialogues
Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan
• Spiritual leader for the Sufi Order in the West
• Active in the multifaith movement
• Prolific speaker and writer about the essence of Sufism
Harold S. Kushner
• Jewish rabbi and bestselling author
• Interpreter of the meaning of Biblical stories about forgiveness and personal value
• Counselor on coping with grief, tragedies, and injustices
Madeleine L'Engle
• Writer of more than 60 books
• Winner of the John Newbery Medal for her children's book A Wrinkle in Time
• Christian laywoman, speaker, and workshop leader
Stephen Levine
• American writer, poet, and mediation teacher
• Pioneer teacher of Theravada Buddhism and Hinduism in the West
• Workshop leader on conscious aging/conscious dying
Ted Loder
• Retired Methodist minister
• Known for his artistic political activism and passion for social justice
• Named at one time One of America's Outstanding Creative Preachers
Ed McGaa (Eagle Man)
• Registered member of the Oglala Sioux
• Writer on Lakota spirituality
• Practitioner of traditional Lakota ceremonies
Thomas Merton
• Pathfinder for the Christian contemplative spirituality movement
• Pioneer of interspirituality and interfaith dialogue
• Social activist and cultural critic
• Featured in The Practicing Democracy Project
Jacob Needleman
• Philosophy Professor
• Lecturer and writer on world religions
• Psychology, education, medical ethics, and philanthropy consultant
• Featured in The Practicing Democracy Project
Thich Nhat Hanh
• Master mindfulness teacher
• Peacemaker committed to helping people see the interbeing of all life
• Vietnamese monk, poet, scholar, and retreat leader
• Featured in The Practicing Democracy Project
Henri J. M. Nouwen
• Roman Catholic priest and spiritual guide
• Prolific writer on spirituality
• Pastor for the L'Arche communities serving people with developmental disabilities
M. Basil Pennington
• Trappist monk who traveled the world
• First Western Christian to spend time at Mount Ethos, a center of Eastern Orthodoxy
• Teacher of Christian practices of devotion
Hugh Prather
• Freelance philosopher
• Radio talk show host
• Minister and lecturer
Gabrielle Roth
• Creator of the 5Rhytms Movement Practice
• Author, workshop leader and theater director
• Dancer, musician and philosopher
Jonathan Sacks
• Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
• Knighted by Her Majesty the Queen of England
• Internationally recognized professor and author
Jamie Sams
• Native American Holy Person of Cherokee and Seneca descent
• Writer on American Indian spirituality
• Retreat leader for the Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
• One of the founders of the Jewish Renewal movement
• Catalyst for the spiritual eldering movement and founder of Sage-ing International
• Pioneer in interspirituality
Huston Smith
• Writer and professor of world religions
• Author of the classic text The World's Religions
• Multifaith practitioner
Malidoma Patrice Some
• Initiated elder of the African Dagar tribe
• Interpreter of West African spirituality for Western audiences
• Popular speaker and retreat leader
Sobonfu Some
• Widely respected teacher of African spirituality
• Founder of Ancestors Wisdom Spring
• Leader of workshops and retreats on indigenous wisdom
John Shelby Spong
• Retired bishop in the Episcopal Church
• Lecturer at seminaries and universities around the world
• Progressive Christian writer on social issues
Wayne Teasdale
• Lay monk in the way of the Christian sannyasa
• Activist in building common ground among the world's religions
• Trustee of the Parliament of World Religions
Howard Thurman
• African-American author, educator, and theologian
• A principal architect of the nonviolent civil rights movement
• Co-founder of the first major interracial church in the United States
Desmond Tutu
• Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
• Retired Archbishop of Cape Town
• Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa
• Featured in The Practicing Democracy Project
Jean Vanier
• Advocate for and friend to people with developmental disabilities
• Founder of L'Arche Communities
• Canadian Catholic theologian
Macrina Wiederkehr
• Devotional writer and master of everyday spirituality
• Creative guide to mining the meaning in memories and life experiences
• Benedictine monastic of St. Scholastica Monastery