Not many teachers ... When I was younger I hankered after being a theologian - although that was never going to happen! For a long time I took an academic approach to most things which included trying to know lots and lots about a subject. I never achieved that either, of course. It's really only in the last few years I've finally realised that my job is simply to know enough . When it comes to prayer what matters is the practice, not the theory. I could be an expert concerning the text and commentary on The Cloud of Unknowing or the Desert Fathers, for instance, but that wouldn't, in itself, mean I was necessarily learning from those sources about my practice of prayer. Jesus reminds us that we only have one teacher - himself! (Matt 22.16) So whilst it's good to read and gain knowledge, what we need to move towards is to understand and, finally, to grow in wisdom. That doesn't need a large library, but a large heart! I say that having spend the last couple of days ...