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Is Centering Prayer Catholic?: Fr. Thomas Keating Meets Teresa of Avila and the CDF
What is Centering Prayer? What are its origins? Is it a form of New Age meditation, or a thoroughly Catholic prayer method that can lead to contemplation? Connie Rossini digs into the writings and public statements of Fr. Thomas Keating, one of Centering Prayer's foremost proponents. She compares his words with the writings of St. Teresa of Avila on prayer, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on New Age spirituality. Find out if Centering Prayer is a reliable method for union with God, or a counterfeit that Catholics should avoid.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2015
17 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Connie Rossini
14 books96 followersConnie Rossini gives whole families practical help to grow in holiness. She is the author of Trusting God with St. Therese, the series A Spiritual Growth Plan for Your Children, and Is Centering Prayer Catholic? The Contemplative Rosary, co-written with Daniel Burke, is due out in October 2017. Connie writes a column on prayer for The Catholic Voice of the Diocese of Omaha, and she blogs at Contemplative Homeschool. She is also a columnist for SpiritualDirection.com. She and her husband Dan have four young sons.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 25, 2015
I started studying Centering Prayer about 16 months ago, when my brother's friend asked me about it. Since I blog and write books on Carmelite spirituality, he thought I would be a good source of help. At the time, I knew very little about it. The more I studied it, the more concerned I became. I wrote a series of blog posts, then decided that wasn't enough.
As in all my books, I strive here to write for a general Catholic audience. You don't have to be a Carmelite or a scholar to follow my arguments. In just a few hours of reading, you will learn why so many orthodox teachers on the spiritual life warn people about Centering Prayer. And you will also likely understand the prayer life better than you ever have before.
As in all my books, I strive here to write for a general Catholic audience. You don't have to be a Carmelite or a scholar to follow my arguments. In just a few hours of reading, you will learn why so many orthodox teachers on the spiritual life warn people about Centering Prayer. And you will also likely understand the prayer life better than you ever have before.
February 6, 2016
When I returned to the Catholic Church, I was hungry to really learn and live my Faith. Naturally, I turned to those who had welcomed me back for guidance, never suspecting for a second that those I approached would ever (intentionally or unintentionally) steer me anywhere but to the Truth.
I read and devoured everything they put before me, including suggestions that I turn to “centering prayer”. At the time, my prayer life was rather simple. I relied heavily on the words others created and was in no position to compare the efficacy and/or validity of centering prayer to other forms of prayer.
Initially, I enjoyed this new way of praying. But as I matured in my Faith, I abandoned it. It did not seem “right” although I was still too immature spiritually to articulate why I felt that way.
It would have been helpful to me during that part of my spiritual journey had “Is Centering Prayer Catholic?” existed. Connie Rossini has done a great service to the Church and the souls of its members by objectively and professionally comparing “centering prayer” and what its proponents have said about it to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church and some of its great spiritual guides, such as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, actually teach about prayer.
The book is well-written, clear, informative, instructive and a must read for anyone seeking a more fruitful prayer life. I highly recommend you read (and re-read) this outstanding book.
I read and devoured everything they put before me, including suggestions that I turn to “centering prayer”. At the time, my prayer life was rather simple. I relied heavily on the words others created and was in no position to compare the efficacy and/or validity of centering prayer to other forms of prayer.
Initially, I enjoyed this new way of praying. But as I matured in my Faith, I abandoned it. It did not seem “right” although I was still too immature spiritually to articulate why I felt that way.
It would have been helpful to me during that part of my spiritual journey had “Is Centering Prayer Catholic?” existed. Connie Rossini has done a great service to the Church and the souls of its members by objectively and professionally comparing “centering prayer” and what its proponents have said about it to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church and some of its great spiritual guides, such as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, actually teach about prayer.
The book is well-written, clear, informative, instructive and a must read for anyone seeking a more fruitful prayer life. I highly recommend you read (and re-read) this outstanding book.
March 4, 2019
Connie Rossini presents us in this work a critical analysis of the main arguments from the proponents and advocates of Centering Prayer (CP). She exposes the Buddhist roots of CP and does a great job comparing and contrasting true Christian meditation with Centering Prayer (CP), explaining why CP is not in alignment with Catholic teaching on prayer as taught by the great Doctors of the Church (particularly St. Teresa of Avila). She directs the reader to original sources on both sides of the argument, doing a superb job using official Vatican documents, the Catechism and quotes directly taken from the works of St. Teresa to present traditional Catholic spirituality. A must-read for those wanting a solid Catholic reference to understand why this widely popular and (unfortunately) widespread practice is not adequate to help us grow in our life of prayer and attain union with God.
December 12, 2018
Book Review: Is Centering Prayer Catholic
Connie Rossini’s Is Centering Prayer Catholic is an excellent source to see a critique regarding Centering Prayer. What I really liked is the distinctions she makes and how she compares the various statements made by the late Fr. Thomas Keating compared to what St. Teresa of Avila wrote regarding contemplative prayer. She really is trying to be as fair as possible, and does an excellent job of explaining the problems along with also accurately explaining what authentic Catholic contemplative prayer is.
Previously I have looked into some of Fr. Thomas Keating writings and statements and found them problematic. This book does a good job of focusing on the claims of the centering prayer movement.
This book also makes good caveats. For example what people might encounter under the umbrella of centering prayer, might actually be something much closer to authentic Catholic contemplative prayer. There is a good amount of confusion regarding what exactly centering prayer is as understood by some people practicing it compared to what the centering prayer movement advocates.
She also uses the document Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of life, a Christian reflection on the “New Age”, to compare the concerns raised with the statements of the centering prayer movement. This new edition answers objections raised by Contemplative Outreach, the organization started by the founders of the centering prayer movement.
Connie Rossini’s Is Centering Prayer Catholic is an excellent source to see a critique regarding Centering Prayer. What I really liked is the distinctions she makes and how she compares the various statements made by the late Fr. Thomas Keating compared to what St. Teresa of Avila wrote regarding contemplative prayer. She really is trying to be as fair as possible, and does an excellent job of explaining the problems along with also accurately explaining what authentic Catholic contemplative prayer is.
Previously I have looked into some of Fr. Thomas Keating writings and statements and found them problematic. This book does a good job of focusing on the claims of the centering prayer movement.
This book also makes good caveats. For example what people might encounter under the umbrella of centering prayer, might actually be something much closer to authentic Catholic contemplative prayer. There is a good amount of confusion regarding what exactly centering prayer is as understood by some people practicing it compared to what the centering prayer movement advocates.
She also uses the document Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of life, a Christian reflection on the “New Age”, to compare the concerns raised with the statements of the centering prayer movement. This new edition answers objections raised by Contemplative Outreach, the organization started by the founders of the centering prayer movement.
November 11, 2025
This book has a lot of important information about the dangers of centering prayer and its deceptively innocent presentation by its practitioners. A good read to help you steer clear of some real dangers to a good and properly-ordered prayer life.
September 28, 2023
I read this book for a class on Foundations of prayer. Connie Rossini is brilliant but she is way over my head. I found this book interesting but it was unnecessary for me to read. As someone who has had a deep prayer life since childhood, studied with many faiths and was in a class on centering prayer taught by a nun, I can tell you centering prayer is not Catholic. (I got into many a debate with that nun who wasn’t happy about it). Catholics are better off sticking to Catholic prayer as taught by centuries of saints won managed to attain union with God while on earth. It is a more authentic experience and more beneficial to your spiritual life.
October 7, 2015
I came to this book looking for a clear understanding of the Catholic position on centering prayer. I had heard good things about Fr. Thomas Keating from several Catholics of good will, and I had also been warned by other good Catholics to steer clear of his writings and methods. More than anything, I strive to be faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church, and for that reason, this book is a godsend.
With the utmost charity and detached consideration, Connie Rossini has given us a simple, clear, and practical way to compare authentic Catholic prayer and centering prayer. She places the words of St. Teresa of Avila (Doctor of the Church and prayer master) and the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the office which spreads and defends sound doctrine) side-by-side with Fr. Keating's words on centering prayer.
The results are astonishing and, frankly, frightening for anyone practicing or considering centering prayer.
While Fr. Keating and his supporters claim that centering prayer is compatible with Catholic prayer traditions, it becomes clear early on in the book that such a claim is impossible. In fact, true Catholic contemplation stands in stark contrast to the methods and goals of centering prayer, which is simply eastern transcendental meditation under a "Catholic" label.
For example, Fr. Keating "states repeatedly that one should ignore every thought during prayer, and every type of communication and inspiration coming from God himself. He urges his followers to use a 'sacred word' during prayer, but not only can that word be something completely secular if one chooses, Fr. Keating says that 'the less the word means to you, the better.'"
Contrast that to what we read about prayer in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
"Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ..."
And St. Teresa utterly contradicts Fr. Keating's directive of "letting go of every kind of thought during prayer, even the most devout thoughts” when she says:
"Taking it upon oneself to stop and suspend thought is what I mean should not be done; nor should we cease to work with the intellect, because otherwise we would be left like cold simpletons and be doing neither one thing nor the other."
Chapter by chapter, subject by subject, we see clearly how Fr. Keating's centering prayer theologically confuses almost every aspect of Catholic meditation and contemplation. By the end of the book, we have seen that...
"...Centering Prayer proposes an unorthodox relationship between God and the soul. It speaks of the spiritual life as coming to a greater consciousness, rather than conquering sin and learning to live according to God’s will. It misconstrues the place of the intellect and will in prayer. It sees no real distinctions between Catholic theology and Eastern religions. It denies the real change that takes place at death, sees growth in emotional freedom as the primary sign of spiritual growth, tells practitioners to ignore thoughts of God or inspirations from him during prayer, and urges the use of a 'sacred word' that might as well be gibberish. Centering Prayer takes Buddhist and Hindu meditation techniques, adds a few Christian terms, and calls it a new expression of the Catholic contemplative tradition. Its focus, its purpose, and its practice are all out of step with the teachings of Teresa of Avila, the unrivaled master teacher of the contemplative life." [And the teachings of the CDF and the Catechism as well.]
The phrase "accept no substitutes" comes to mind when I think of those tempted to centering prayer. If you desire to move through the stages of holiness and prayer and to achieve true spiritual union with God through infused contemplation, stay on course with Catholic tradition and teaching presented by the masters of Christian prayer and by the Church herself, and stay far, far away from the New Age philosophies and emptiness of centering prayer.
With the utmost charity and detached consideration, Connie Rossini has given us a simple, clear, and practical way to compare authentic Catholic prayer and centering prayer. She places the words of St. Teresa of Avila (Doctor of the Church and prayer master) and the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the office which spreads and defends sound doctrine) side-by-side with Fr. Keating's words on centering prayer.
The results are astonishing and, frankly, frightening for anyone practicing or considering centering prayer.
While Fr. Keating and his supporters claim that centering prayer is compatible with Catholic prayer traditions, it becomes clear early on in the book that such a claim is impossible. In fact, true Catholic contemplation stands in stark contrast to the methods and goals of centering prayer, which is simply eastern transcendental meditation under a "Catholic" label.
For example, Fr. Keating "states repeatedly that one should ignore every thought during prayer, and every type of communication and inspiration coming from God himself. He urges his followers to use a 'sacred word' during prayer, but not only can that word be something completely secular if one chooses, Fr. Keating says that 'the less the word means to you, the better.'"
Contrast that to what we read about prayer in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
"Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ..."
And St. Teresa utterly contradicts Fr. Keating's directive of "letting go of every kind of thought during prayer, even the most devout thoughts” when she says:
"Taking it upon oneself to stop and suspend thought is what I mean should not be done; nor should we cease to work with the intellect, because otherwise we would be left like cold simpletons and be doing neither one thing nor the other."
Chapter by chapter, subject by subject, we see clearly how Fr. Keating's centering prayer theologically confuses almost every aspect of Catholic meditation and contemplation. By the end of the book, we have seen that...
"...Centering Prayer proposes an unorthodox relationship between God and the soul. It speaks of the spiritual life as coming to a greater consciousness, rather than conquering sin and learning to live according to God’s will. It misconstrues the place of the intellect and will in prayer. It sees no real distinctions between Catholic theology and Eastern religions. It denies the real change that takes place at death, sees growth in emotional freedom as the primary sign of spiritual growth, tells practitioners to ignore thoughts of God or inspirations from him during prayer, and urges the use of a 'sacred word' that might as well be gibberish. Centering Prayer takes Buddhist and Hindu meditation techniques, adds a few Christian terms, and calls it a new expression of the Catholic contemplative tradition. Its focus, its purpose, and its practice are all out of step with the teachings of Teresa of Avila, the unrivaled master teacher of the contemplative life." [And the teachings of the CDF and the Catechism as well.]
The phrase "accept no substitutes" comes to mind when I think of those tempted to centering prayer. If you desire to move through the stages of holiness and prayer and to achieve true spiritual union with God through infused contemplation, stay on course with Catholic tradition and teaching presented by the masters of Christian prayer and by the Church herself, and stay far, far away from the New Age philosophies and emptiness of centering prayer.
October 5, 2015
Do you wonder why there is such controversy surrounding Centering Prayer and what the source of this controversy is?
In Connie Rossini's newest book,"Is Centering Prayer Catholic?", the author takes a deep look at Centering Prayer and its practices and demonstrates to us why Christian prayer and Centering Prayer are diametrically opposed to one another. To substantiate these differences, the author draws from a variety of sources such as the rich text of the Catholic document, "Jesus Christ: The Bearer of the Water of Life" and the writings of the Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila. The topics covered in this book include:
~ The origin of Centering Prayer
~Teresian prayer versus Fr. Keating's Centering Prayer
~What the Catholic Church teaches about prayer
~Why Centering Prayer misses the mark when it comes to building a trusting relationship with God and its opposition to forming a Christ-centered life
There is a spiritual danger inherent in Centering Prayer: that one might be led away from Christ rather than toward Him. Many people that I know who practice Centering Prayer have deep leanings toward The New Age Movement and a number of them have left the Catholic faith. If Christ is not the center of Christian prayer then what might that center be? If you are going on a journey and while getting directions fail to realize that your base starting point is off, wouldn't that affect the entire journey? There are numerous difficulties associated with centering prayer and Connie Rossini addresses many of the problems concerning this form of "prayer" and the reason it fails as an avenue towards union with God.
Why engender such confusion when there is a better way to pray? In this book, the author speaks brilliantly of this "better way" and proves that Centering Prayer cannot be seen as something merely innocuous and harmless but that it may actually be a hindrance to the soul seeking union with God.
As the CDF states:
"All meditation techniques need to be purged of presumption and pretentiousness. Christian prayer is not an exercise in self-contemplation, stillness and self-emptying, but a dialogue of love, one which implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from 'self' to the 'You' of God."
With great clarity, the author of "Is Centering Prayer Catholic?" shows us why Centering Prayer is incompatible with Christianity. I highly recommend this book to all those seeking a closer relationship with God.
In Connie Rossini's newest book,"Is Centering Prayer Catholic?", the author takes a deep look at Centering Prayer and its practices and demonstrates to us why Christian prayer and Centering Prayer are diametrically opposed to one another. To substantiate these differences, the author draws from a variety of sources such as the rich text of the Catholic document, "Jesus Christ: The Bearer of the Water of Life" and the writings of the Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila. The topics covered in this book include:
~ The origin of Centering Prayer
~Teresian prayer versus Fr. Keating's Centering Prayer
~What the Catholic Church teaches about prayer
~Why Centering Prayer misses the mark when it comes to building a trusting relationship with God and its opposition to forming a Christ-centered life
There is a spiritual danger inherent in Centering Prayer: that one might be led away from Christ rather than toward Him. Many people that I know who practice Centering Prayer have deep leanings toward The New Age Movement and a number of them have left the Catholic faith. If Christ is not the center of Christian prayer then what might that center be? If you are going on a journey and while getting directions fail to realize that your base starting point is off, wouldn't that affect the entire journey? There are numerous difficulties associated with centering prayer and Connie Rossini addresses many of the problems concerning this form of "prayer" and the reason it fails as an avenue towards union with God.
Why engender such confusion when there is a better way to pray? In this book, the author speaks brilliantly of this "better way" and proves that Centering Prayer cannot be seen as something merely innocuous and harmless but that it may actually be a hindrance to the soul seeking union with God.
As the CDF states:
"All meditation techniques need to be purged of presumption and pretentiousness. Christian prayer is not an exercise in self-contemplation, stillness and self-emptying, but a dialogue of love, one which implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from 'self' to the 'You' of God."
With great clarity, the author of "Is Centering Prayer Catholic?" shows us why Centering Prayer is incompatible with Christianity. I highly recommend this book to all those seeking a closer relationship with God.
September 8, 2019
Too harsh and discouraging.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews