contemplation

Centering Prayer is a contemporary method of Christian spiritual practice that is based on teachings from ancient Christian mystics. It recognizes silence and stillness as doorways into prayer and intimacy with God. <a href=/unknowing/centering-prayer/>Read More »</a>

What is the best church for someone interested in contemplative practice? Is it better to be anchored in one tradition, or to resist affiliation with any one tradition, in the interest of maintaining an openness to God's wisdom and guidance wherever it may arise? <a href=/unknowing/what-is-the-best-church-for-christian-mysticism-and-contemplation/>Read More »</a>

So instead of the heart of contemplation being thought or cogitation, in a spiritual sense, contemplation is wordless prayer. It's not about thought — in fact, contemplation takes us to a place beyond thought. <a href=/unknowing/contemplation/>Read More »</a>

This book, like Martin Laird's previous two, is not a dry academic treatment of contemplation. Rather, it is warmly written, practical and down-to-earth, and filled with insight and instruction to help anyone who embraces contemplative prayer to pray deeply and well. <a href=/unknowing/ocean-of-light/>Read More »</a>

Celtic spirituality is the spirituality of the edge of the world. It acknowledges that “edge” place in our hearts where time meets eternity, where words fade off into silence, and where heaven silently gazes into the turmoil of earthly life. <a href=/unknowing/celtic-contemplation/>Read More »</a>

As important as silence is to contemplative and mystical forms of prayer, it's only one of five essential dimensions of Christian prayer. In this post I look at all of these dimensions of prayer: what they are, why they matter, and how to cultivate all the essential ways of praying in your daily spiritual practice. <a href=/unknowing/dimensions-of-christian-prayer/>Read More »</a>

If Christians (especially young ones) only knew about the contemplative dimension of Christian spirituality, they would not be abandoning the church as rapidly as they are. And it's the local congregation's job to teach the Christian contemplative tradition. <a href=/unknowing/contemplative-church/>Read More »</a>