Centering Prayer or Contemplative Prayer as handed down from the days of Jesus (or before), has survived mainly in the monasteries as a practice reserved only for those who had the natural urge to be contemplatives. This practice was passed on generation after generation until the anonymous author wrote “The Cloud of Unknowing”, and on until 1970 when Fr. Thomas Keating, Wm. Meninger, and Fr. Basil Pennington put the process into a more modern format.
This approach to intimacy with God is as old as at least our Christian beginnings. Perhaps it is an application of knowledge acquired in Jesus’ travels.
To Detractors of Contemplative Prayer
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009I had a conversation, again, with one of our friends, who has the opinion that Contemplative Prayer is a “New Age” technique started by Fr. Thomas Keating in the mid-70′s along with Fr. William Meninger, and Bro. Basil Pennington.
Unfortunately, all the authors who are propagating such ideas are doing so because:
1. They have no formation to receive the value of the Prayer
2. They are taking much of their position based upon ‘out of context’ quotes and ignorance.
3. They have not done their homework on the topic, only a surface/cursory pass over the information they use to validate their positions.
4. Have never opened themselves to an internal and intimate relationship with God through true surrender.
No wonder the wise monks through the ages have kept this a secret. It is both sad and painful to listen to ignorance speak its mind.
Even Dr. Fehrer.
nonsense can easily be found on the internet with a simple google search.
Tags: contemplative prayer, detractors, Fr. Thomas Keating, ignorance, intimate relationship with God
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