Richard Rohr (b. 1943) is Franciscan priest, writer, and speaker from Kansas, US. He has a Master in Theology degree from the University of Dayton in Ohio, and joined the Franciscan order in 1961. Rohr is noted for his progressive spiritual and social views, such as his open support of the LGBTQ+ community. An ordained priest since 1970, Rohr is particularly interested in the Christian traditions of mysticism and contemplation, although his work has also attracted mainstream attention from those interested in spirituality in general, such as Oprah Winfrey. Rohr had an audience with Pope Francis in 2022, with Pope Francis reportedly praising Rohr’s work, The Universal Christ (2019).

Rohr takes an ecumenical approach—meaning that he tries to work across various Christian denominations—hoping to galvanize different Christian denominations to work together in community. He is the author of several books on Christian belief and spiritual development, including The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder; The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe, and Falling Upward. His works join a long tradition of Christian theological and devotional literature, in conversation with such classic works as C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity (1952), Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain (1948) (whose poem “When in the Soul of the Serene Disciple”  Rohr quotes from in Falling Upward), and more recent works such as Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind (2008). 

Rohr founded the Center for Action and Contemplation, a retreat center in New Mexico, USA. The center describes its purpose as “Whether through teachings, practices, or community engagement, our goal is to help people live out this wisdom in practical ways—so that they become instruments of love, peacemaking, and positive change in the world” (Center for Action and Contemplation). In Falling Upward, Rohr bases much of his arguments in Biblical scripture, but also weaves in philosophy, psychology, and mythology, as well as references to other religious traditions.