Between January 2007 and April 2009, Trappist monk Fr. Thomas Keating met in Miami for several days each year with members of the council for Extensión Contemplativa Internacional—the Spanish and Portuguese branch of Contemplative Outreach, the organization he helped established three decades ago to promote the revival of the Christian mystical tradition.

Consenting to God As God Is collects the intimate talks and daily presentations on various aspects of the spiritual journey. The book’s title describes the most fundamental exercise of Christian faith. This exercise recognizes the illusory character of our past ideas of God and gives birth to a new understanding that leads to a deep conversion of heart. Along with centering prayer, we consent and surrender to God’s presence and action within as our primary and often repeated intention in all our activities.

Oriented toward people who have been practicing centering prayer for several years, Consenting to God As God Is is addressed primarily to those with some personal experience of the spiritual journey and especially to those engaged in some form of contemplative service.