Centering Prayer as developed by Trappist monks Thomas Keating, Basil Pennington, and William Meninger is a discipline that exercises faith, hope, and love; aims at the maintenance of a relationship with God; and accentuates the importance of silence. It is a natural bloom arising from a millennium of Christian contemplative practice. In an incisive overview, editor Gustave Reininger surveys the theological depths of these three monks who have bequeathed to us a stirring view of human nature and divine intimacy.
Thomas Keating contributes an essay on the spiritual practices of attention and intention while Basil Pennington looks at the significance of lectio divina. In the remaining pieces, various Episcopalians write about centering prayer and pastoral care (Sarah Butler), community (David Forbes Morgan), and priestly spiritual formation (Sandra Casey-Martus).