Epiphanies of Nature and Grace: Twelve Meditations from a Life in Dialogue with Cyprian Consiglio (Orbis Books, 2025)

October 5, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

"Be who you are like a star, but actually you're more like a planet that circles the sun." That line, which Cyprian Consiglio wrote during a retreat and later set to music, captures the central tension of his life and his new book, Epiphanies of Nature and Grace: Twelve Meditations from a Life in Dialogue (Orbis Books, 2025). Consiglio is a Camaldolese Benedictine monk, musician, and now Secretary General for Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, based in Rome. In conversation with Lucas, he explains how the book emerged from homilies he gave during a decade as prior of his community in California, expanded into longer essays during a sabbatical year. The result is his most personal work yet—one that weaves together monastic tradition, Asian spirituality, music, and the hard-won authority of someone who has lived through the contradictions of religious life rather than simply theorized about them.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:35) **Introducing Cyprian Consiglio and His New Book** - The host, Lucas, welcomes Cyprian Consiglio, a Camaldolese Benedictine monk, musician, and author, to discuss *Epiphanies of Nature and Grace: Twelve Meditations from a Life in Dialogue*.
2 (03:03) **The Value of Writing Books in a Wider Life** - Cyprian reflects on why he writes books alongside his work in monastic community, retreats, and music.
3 (05:16) **Finding His Voice as a Writer** - Cyprian traces the evolution of his authorial voice across his five books, culminating in the conversational, anecdotal style of this latest work.
4 (10:38) **When the Monk and the Musician Came Together** - Cyprian describes the pivotal moment when his dual identities as monk and musician integrated into a single vocation.
5 (15:15) **The "Glass Ceiling" in Monastic Community** - Cyprian explains the internal and external pressures that made him feel he had to leave the monastery to grow.
6 (19:45) **What Kept Him in the Monastery** - Cyprian discusses the tension between leaving and staying, and the value of deep roots in a tradition.
7 (25:11) **Scaling the Individual Journey to Community** - Cyprian describes how his experience as prior taught him the importance of returning to the basics of tradition for the health of the community.

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Show Notes

Tune in to this discussion of Epiphanies of Nature and Grace: Twelve Meditations from a Life in Dialogue (Orbis Books, 2025) These moving and eloquent meditations on a range of spiritual themes draw on the author’s study of scripture and his deep monastic experience, as well as on his many pilgrimages to India and his immersion in the spiritual wisdom both of Asia and the Christian West.

Cyprian Consiglio is a Camaldolese Benedictine monk, musician, composer, author, and teacher. After retiring from his office as prior of his community, he currently lives in Rome, serving as Secretary General for Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (DIMMID).

Lucas Tse is an Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford.

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