The Contemplative Journey

by Thomas Keating

His teachings on Centering Prayer -- a path to God rooted in the "Lost Christianity" of medieval times -- has endeared Father Thomas Keating to many thousands of contemporary Christians. On The Contemplative Journey, Father Thomas teaches a brilliant synthesis of modern psychology and ancient spirituality, guiding listeners to the holy "still point" described in legendary Christians texts more than 600 years ago. With The Contemplative Journey, Father Thomas -- author of the classics Open Mind, Open Heart; The Mystery of Christ; and Intimacy with God -- has created a long-awaited guide to the authentic tradition of Christian contemplation. In Centering Prayer, he explains, the listener engages beyond thinking, beyond emotions, connecting with God's infinitive love. Inherently and uniquely Christians, this "divine therapy" draws on a receptive meditation technique similar to those that have attracted many contemporary seekers to the Eastern mystical practices. The Contemplative Journey is the fruit of Father Thomas' life as a devoted monastic, theologian, psychologist, and a sweeping masterwork that points the way to the Christian ideal of unity with the divine. "Profoundly human insights and classical spiritual, gems". -- Catholic Library World

Genres: Spirituality, Christian

37 pages, Audio Cassette

First published July 1, 1997

About the author

Keating entered the Cistercian Order in Valley Falls, Rhode Island in January, 1944. He was appointed Superior of St. Benedict's Monastery, Snowmass, Colorado in 1958, and was elected abbot of St. Joseph's Abbey, Spencer, Massachusetts in 1961. He returned to Snowmass after retiring as abbot of Spencer in 1981, where he established a program of ten-day intensive retreats in the practice of Centering Prayer, a contemporary form of the Christian contemplative tradition.

He is one of three architects of Centering Prayer, a contemporary method of contemplative prayer, that emerged from St. Joseph's Abbey in 1975. Frs. William Menninger and Basil Pennington, also Cistercian monks, were the other architects.
n 1984, Fr. Thomas Keating along with Gustave Reininger and Edward Bednar, co-founded Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., an international, ecumenical spiritual network that teaches the practice of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, a method of prayer drawn from the Christian contemplative tradition. Contemplative Outreach provides a support system for those on the contemplative path through a wide variety of resources, workshops, and retreats.
Fr. Keating currently lives at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado.

Reviews

[Ben Smitthimedhin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good advice here and there, but most of it is post-vatican II psychoanalytic roo-rah. With rarely a trace of orthodoxy left, Keating seems to believe that Jesus was a wisdom teacher whose sole purpose was to lead us in eliminating the negative unconscious emotions that trap us from making good, sturdy choices. The scandal of the Gospel becomes nothing but an attempt to soothe our anxious little lives.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize when I got this that it was essentially a live conference presentation of the same material that makes up the book "An Invitation to Love". Overall the book was more polished and more eloquent, but if you want an audiobook version of that book I think this is the closest thing available.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume one, totally worth it. Volume two, not so much. I didn't really gleam much additional insight from volume two, it was overly verbose and not particularly succinct in its point making. It was almost painful by the last few chapters. Father Thomas is clearly a legend, but it is a bit like sitting and listening to a wise, albeit slightly rambling, friendly grandpa spinning a yarn.

[Michael Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 1 of 2, Father Keating teaches what contemplation is, its benefits, and the psychology as well as the spirituality of its importance.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Helena Babington · Rating 4 out of 5]

No time to review.

[Con · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wisdom from an honest, humble man. I didn't realize that this has a second book, continuing his discussion of how one can maintain a deeper walk with the Divine by choosing to live in awareness.