The Fire of Hope 1

In 2026, John Philip Newell begins a new series of retreats called The Fire of Hope to respond to the deep challenges of this moment, whether political, religious or environmental. Where do we draw spiritual strength to passionately say no to what is false and witness to what is true and of God?

The Fire of Hope 1 is the first in a three-part series of annual retreats led by the Celtic teacher John Philip Newell and his colleague Cami Twilling in which we seek to nurture the fire of love, the fire of desire and the fire of courage within us.

The teachings of this retreat are based on the book that John Philip is currently working on, drawing especially on the wisdom of Leo Tolstoy, Simone Weil and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Although the final text for this three-year series has not yet been written we recommend the following books by John Philip Newell as preparing the way: A New Ancient Harmony and the prayerbook Celtic Benediction.

The Fire of Hope 1 can be taken as a stand-alone retreat or in conjunction with The Fire of Hope 2 and The Fire of Hope 3, which can be attended in any order and at any of our retreat centers across the country or online.

For more information about John Philip Newell and Earth and Soul, visit https://www.earthandsoul.org.

For more information about the retreat at Holy Wisdom Monastery, contact Pam Shellberg at pshellberg@holywisdommonastery.org or 608-836-1631, x126.

Schedule

Thursday – April 30

Friday – May 1

Saturday – May 2

Leaders – John Philip Newell and Cami Twilling

John Philip Newell

John Philip Newell (b. 1953) is an internationally renowned Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being.

Canadian by birth, and also Scottish, he resides with his wife Ali in the ecovillage of Findhorn in Scotland. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland.

His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne, is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it.

John Philip speaks of himself as ‘a wandering teacher’ following the ancient path of many lone teachers before him in the Celtic tradition, seeking the wellbeing of the world. He has been described as having ‘the heart of a Celtic bard and the mind of a Celtic scholar’, combining in his teachings the poetic and the intellectual, the head as well as the heart, and spiritual awareness as well as political and ecological concern.

Cami Twilling

Cami Twilling, based in Colorado, is the Director of Earth & Soul (a Celtic initiative of study, spiritual practice and compassionate action inspired by the teachings of John Philip Newell). As well as heading up the overall work of Earth & Soul, she facilitates the spiritual practice component of the Earth & Soul Retreats. Previously she was the Director of Contemplative Spirituality and Youth Ministry at Trinity UMC in downtown Denver. She has studied meditation in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition of Shambhala and received Spiritual Direction certification from the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction in Tucson, Arizona.

In addition to leading mountain and urban retreats, she has led international pilgrimage groups to Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland and work teams to Guatemala to build houses in communities that have suffered from political strife and economic hardship. Cami is passionate about the relationship between spirituality and action and believes that spiritual vision and practice can play a vital role in helping to heal and transform our lives both individually and together.

Dates/Times

4:00 pm, Thursday, April 30 – 1:00 pm, Saturday, May 2, 2026

Cost

$385/person, includes program and meals, Thurs. dinner, Fri. lunch and dinner, Fri. book signing and reception, Sat. lunch; does NOT include lodging.

Limited scholarships are available. Please contact Pam Shellberg at pshellberg@holywisdommonastery.org or 608-836-1631, x126.

Lodging

Lodging is NOT included in the price of the retreat.

• Lodging at Holy Wisdom Monastery during the retreat is $172 for 2 nights for a single occupancy, $199 for 2 nights for double occupancy. Additional nights are available upon request.
• Please contact us at retreats@holywisdommonastery.org to reserve your room. Lodging is limited.

Register

Please register with the button below by April 22, 2026.

Cancellation policy – if you register but must cancel your registration, you can receive a 75% refund up until April 22, 2025. After that, a 50% refund is available until the retreat starts.