A long-term reader and patron of this blog recently wrote to me this message:
Just what is a contemplative person or for that matter tradition? Is a Christian mystic by definition a contemplative or is a contemplative a possible subset? Or turn that around……is a Christian contemplative by definition a mystic or is a mystic a subset? I think that for years I may have thought that because I engaged with a 20 min. sit each day ( 2 or 3 sits on a good day) that I was engaged with a contemplative life style. I am sure that my toe has been in that water but I know that I am far from being submerged. Can someone be a contemplative who doesn’t engage with sits? Is being contemplative more of a lifestyle or better yet a worldview or maybe a state of mind that really cannot be put into words?
- What makes someone a contemplative?
- What is the difference between being a mystic and being contemplative?
- Does Centering Prayer (or other forms of silent prayer/meditation) make a person a contemplative (or a mystic)?
- Can someone be a contemplative even without practicing silent prayer?
- Is contemplation a lifestyle, a worldview, or just something that can’t be put into words?
Both mysticism and contemplation (and, for that matter, meditation) are words with complex, nuanced meanings that get used by different people to mean slightly different things. So all I can offer you is my take on this, recognizing that others may disagree. Nevertheless, let’s take these one at a time.
What makes someone a contemplative?
The history of the word contemplation is related to pagan Roman practices of divination; so at its root the word carries the sense of gazing, musing, and yes, meditating. In the context of western mysticism, to be a contemplative is to be one who gazes deeply into the mystery of God. That’s not as easy as it sounds. We live in a fast food culture and we want our spirituality served up as conveniently and quickly as our hamburgers. So contemplation is not just something you can master after attending a weekend workshop or reading a book or two (I say this as the author of several books on the topic). Becoming a contemplative is a process, and so I would say having a sustained practice of daily prayer with a commitment to fostering intimacy with God through silence, reflection, study, and meditation — that’s what makes a person a contemplative. Of course, traditionalists would argue that only God can make someone a contemplative: it is entirely a grace that we can prepare ourselves for, but not just decide on our own to attain. While I like the humility of that perspective, I also believe that God, as Love, wants us all to be contemplatives, just as God wants us all to be holy. So if contemplative is meant for everyone, anyone can become a contemplative, but that’s rather like saying anyone can become a saint. It is a long, lifetime process of commitment to prayer, love, discipline and practice.
What is the difference between being a mystic and being contemplative?
I’m not sure that there is a difference, except that speaking personally, I’m even more hesitant to call myself a mystic than a contemplative! On the other hand, I also believe the idea that “the mystic is not a special kind of person, but each person is a special kind of mystic.” You could substitute contemplative for mystic in that sentence and it would carry a similar meaning. Let’s look at the core/root meanings of these words: a mystic is someone who encounters God through God’s mystery, so a mystic is someone who has surrendered to silence and unknowing as ways of encountering the Divine. A contemplative is someone who gazes into the face of God with wordless love, waiting for God’s guidance and felicitous presence to give their life meaning and purpose and joy. Seen this way, I think any Venn diagram that tries to explain the relationship between mystics and contemplatives would largely overlap.
Does Centering Prayer (or other forms of silent prayer/meditation) make a person a contemplative (or a mystic)?
I think only the Spirit makes someone a mystic or a contemplative. Centering Prayer is something we do to deepen our relationship with God. And by doing that, we consent to God’s action in our hearts. I do believe one of God’s favorite heart-level activities is to slowly turn us into contemplatives and mystics. There’s an analogy from Buddhism that might be helpful here. In Buddhist circles you’ll hear this saying (I don’t know who said it first): “Enlightenment is an accident, but meditation helps to make us accident-prone.” Translate that into theistic language: the experience of union with God is an accident (i.e., we cannot force that to happen by our will), but our spiritual practices, including but not limited to silent prayer, can help to make us “accident prone.” Just remember: union with God is a Biblically guaranteed gift, given to us all (see Romans 5:5). The question is, do we consciously accept and know this gift? And I don’t mean just imagining it, but truly knowing it in our bones?
Can someone be a contemplative even without practicing silent prayer?
I am sure there are (or have been) profound mystics and contemplatives who have never cultivated a practice of silent prayer. But that’s like saying there are great musicians who never bothered to study their instruments, they just picked up the guitar one day, spent a few years figuring out chords etc., and before you know it they’re world-famous virtuosos. Yes, that can happen and it does happen. But most people become musicians the slow and steady way: working with teachers, taking classes, and long, long, long hours of practice. Now you could argue, a person becomes “a musician” the very first time they pick up their instrument, and I would agree with you. Likewise, you can be “a contemplative” the very first time you sit down to pray in radical silence. But just as there is a difference between a musician who is just starting out and one who is an accomplished virtuoso, likewise there is a difference between the beginner contemplative and one who has been immersed in silence for many hours over many years. Remember, God loves us all equally, so being an “advanced contemplative” does not make you any better or more lovable in the eyes of God. But spirituality is not about earning God’s approval, it’s about responding to God’s love. And those who do the work of slowly becoming seasoned contemplatives keep at it because it is a way to give love back to God.
Is contemplation a lifestyle, a worldview, or just something that can’t be put into words?
I think it’s all of the above. Thanks for your questions — now, let’s be silent!
