Thomas Keating - Böcker

"The spiritual journey," writes Thomas Keating, "is not a career or a success story. It is a series of humiliations of the false self that becomes more and more profound. These make room inside us for the Holy Spirit to come in and heal. What prevents us from being available to God is gradually evacuated. We keep getting closer and closer to our center. Every now and then God lifts a corner of the veil and enters into our awareness through various channels, as if to say, 'Here I am. Where are you? Come and join me.' "Father Keating writes with the simplicity and depth that emerges from more than fifty years of practicing to become a ‘friend of God'—in this case as a Cistercian monk, abbot, and spiritual advisor... Those of us who learn from him are grateful for—and blessed by—his gifts.—Elaine Pagels"In an era when the commodification of spirituality in America seems inescapable, his presence and message [are] genuinely inspiring."—Ronald F. Thiemann"The spiritual journey, says Thomas Keating, is a journey of self-discovery, since the encounter with God is also an encounter with one's deepest self. As we come closer to God, we encounter the wellsprings of our own makeup, the hidden chambers of our personality and behavior. God calls us to live in a real world as mature people. And so, growing in God's grace is a gradual process of stepping into the light, of owning up to ourselves and becoming fully human.""To insulate themselves against the pain of living, many people—including many Christians —develop "homemade" selves where they feel protected. But this behavior is radically challenged by Christ, who calls people to repent and reclaim their true selves, bestowed on them by their creator.""The practice of contemplative prayer assists in this process. But contemplative prayer can also be a dangerous place where primitive emotions are let loose. For this reason, those who desire a profound relationship with God would do well to seek the guidance of a loving companion who can journey with them and bring them to a place of healing and mature life."—Harold W. Wit, Harvard University, 1998†

In this book, Thomas Keating invites the reader to look afresh at the Word of God and see, perhaps for the first time, the relevance of these ancient words to life today.

Meditations on the events and parables in the gospels demonstrate the relevance of these stories and events for contemporary Christians.

From the stark beginning of Ash Wednesday to the joyous climax of Easter Sunday, these meditations will feed your faith, renew your hope, and bless abundantly your journey of love.

The transcendent experience that many Christians seek in Eastern religions is abundantly available to those who make use of the suggestions in this introduction to contemplative Christianity. The Christian heritage contains a rich contemplative wisdom, literature, and practice, and this volume is written for those who would like to find enrichment in spiritual practices grounded in non-Christian religions while retaining basic Christian commitments. Traditional Christian subjects such as sacrifice, redemption, salvation, faith, and prayer are discussed to foster understanding of their contemplative aspects. Explanations on how practices such as Lectio Divina clear the mind of the hectic nature of everyday life and help prepare the heart for profound listening to the divine within are also included.

A poetic and accessible introduction to the method of Centering Prayer, this guide explains its origins, theological basis, and psychology by drawing on the writings of important Catholic figures, such as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, and significant texts, such as The Cloud of Unknowing. Describing the theological basis for the Centering Prayer while staying rooted in the heart of a practice that is very personal and intimate, the study explores how harmful attitudes and beliefs about God can distort a positive relationship with the divine. With a careful balance of both Christian and Buddhist philosophy, the volume also discusses the psychological barriers and levels of resistance that contemplatives must face and bolsters seekers with supportive practices like Lectio Divina (holy reading) and praying the rosary . Updated to include a new foreword, this revised edition of a much loved classic is sure to inspire a deeply intimate experience with God.

Revising much of the content originally published in The Kingdom of God Is Like , and adding selected material from Awakenings and Reawakenings , Thomas Keating continues to stir the Christian imagination with insightful commentary on the parables of the Bible. Including the Mustard Seed, the Narrow Door, the Penitent Woman, the Sower, the Prodigal Son, and others, this collection of corresponding meditations renews the voice and vigor of each parable's deeper meaning--so often overlooked through familiarity and fame. Originally told to seekers in an ancient land, each parable--packed with clues about the meaning of life, the nature of God, and the purpose of creation--has as much relevance and resonance as ever for both teaching the lessons of God and his mercy and for understanding the daily struggles of today's fast-paced world.

Following upon Open Mind, Open Heart, which presents a profound formation in Christian prayer, this book demonstrates the contemplative dimension of Christian worship. Here Father Keating recovers the deeper sense of the liturgical year and shares a theological and mystical perspective on the major feasts of the annual cycle. The reader is immersed in the wonder of faith in the mystery of Christ and of the unique nature of God's action and presence in and through the liturgy of our lives.

The talks on which this book was based were given at the John Main Seminar in 1998, the annual international event of the World Community for Christian Meditaion. Previous presenters have included the Dalai Lama, Jean Vanier, Bede Griffi ths, and William Johnston. Father Keating's enlightening commentary on the contemplative meaning of the gospel, particularly the story of the siblings from Bethany, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, fi ts into the great monstic tradition of Christian teaching. A monk refl ects on Scripture in the light of experience. He or she utters a word that startles his listeners into realizing that tradition is not a matter of secondhand experience but the living and human self-transmission of Christ to his disciples.

Centering Prayer is a precious part of the ancient spiritual traditions of the West. When Finding Grace at the Center was first published in 1978, people all over the world welcomed this practical guide to a simple and beautiful form of meditative prayer. Reflections and advice on Centering Prayer's possibilities - and its pitfalls - are presented with clarity and simplicity, with a vision of the deeper life of the soul that contemplative prayer can bring about. Now, with a new foreword by Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, another generation will discover the amazing difference Centering Prayer can make in their lives.

A new edition of the classic that helped launch the Centering Prayer movement. Centering Prayer is a precious part of the ancient spiritual traditions of the West. When Finding Grace at the Center was first published in 1978, people all over the world welcomed this practical guide to a simple and beautiful form of meditative prayer. Reflections and advice on Centering Prayer's possibilities—and its pitfalls—are presented with clarity and simplicity, with a vision of the deeper life of the soul that contemplative prayer can bring about. Now, with a new foreword by Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, PhD, another generation will discover the amazing difference Centering Prayer can make in their lives.

“If something is something, it cannot be its opposite—or so it might seem. Not so with God, because God is…beyond opposites.” In Thomas Keating’s signature wise and whimsical style, this little book invites us to think big. “Think of God in a very big way. And if you do, that is too small.” Transcribed from a 2012 keynote address, God Is All in All introduces some mighty themes—including nature as revelation, mystical teachings on interdependence, new cosmologies of religion and science, and evolutionary understandings of what it means to be human—in a much-needed update to theologies Keating describes as “out of date.” Outlining a three-part spiritual journey from recognizing a divine Other, to becoming the Other, to the realizing there is no other, Keating boldly states “Religion is not the only path to God.” Thoroughly Christian and fully interspiritual, this much-beloved outlier Trappist monk offers a message of “compassion, not condemnation” in a contemplative embrace of the cross as a symbol of humility, inviting those who would become co-redeemers of the world to join him in the kind of meditation and contemplative prayer that allows the transcendent self to emerge. “Be still and you will know, not by the knowledge of the mindbut by the knowledge of the heart, who God is and who you are.”