These essays discuss several features of centering prayer and the contemplative outreach movement:
- Thomas Keating: “The Divine Indwelling”
- Thomas R. Ward: “Spirituality and Community: Centering Prayer and the Ecclesial Dimension”
- Sarah A. Butler: “Lectio Divina as a Tool for Discernment”
- George F. Cairns: “A Dialogue Between Centering Prayer and Transpersonal Psychology”
- Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler: “The Spiritual Network of Contemplative Outreach Limited”
- Paul David Lawson: “Leadership and Changes Through Contemplation: A Parish Perspective”
- Thomas Keating: “The Practice of Intention/Attention”
Thomas Keating was crucial in reviving “centering prayer,” which, in effect, is a work of praying in the medieval spiritual tradition of lectio divina (sacred reading); this collection of essays by Keating, Thomas R. Ward, Sarah A. Butler, George F. Cairns, Paul David Lawson, and Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler furthers that work by expounding centering prayer itself and applying it to other and more outwardly focused concerns, such as spiritual discernment and parish work. This collection should probably not be used as introduction to centering prayer or lectio divina, but its steady and serious tone make it valuable for practiced readers. For collections where there is an interest in Keating’s work. In The Divine Indwelling, the authors demonstrate the rewarding and challenging nature of centering prayer. This book is ideal for the individual pray-er, but it is also a valuable resource for reading groups, Bible studies, and discussion partners.
