The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God Kindle Edition
by David Frenette (Author), Father Thomas Keating (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
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Length: 243 pages Word Wise: Enabled Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
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Product description
In the teachings of Jesus, there are prayers, and then there is prayer—the silent, loving communion with the divine, beyond words or ritual. With Father Thomas Keating’s book Open Mind, Open Heart, hundreds of thousands discovered the transformative power of Centering Prayer as a form of Christian meditation. Now, with The Path of Centering Prayer, Keating’s senior student, friend, and advisor David Frenette reveals the profound depths of this practice, making it easier for meditators to deepen their connection with God.
Beginning and experienced practitioners alike will benefit from this fresh voice, at once eloquent and clear, as they explore:
The key insights and principles of Centering Prayer
Guided instruction in the sacred word, sacred breath, and sacred glance practices
Gentleness and openness: the way of letting go and letting be
Experiencing a deeper sense of God in meditation and in everyday life
Many other contemplative practices and teachings founded upon the wisdom of Fathers Thomas Keating and Thomas Merton
Has your spiritual path grown routine or unfulfilling, or is it at a crossroads for new discovery? For all Christians who seek to move closer into the presence of the divine, The Path of Centering Prayer offers guidance in this rewarding and time-honored meditation practice, to help break through obstacles and illuminate the way.
David Frenette is a leader and senior teacher in the Centering Prayer movement, and a friend and advisor of Father Thomas Keating for 30 years. He co-created and co-led a contemplative retreat community for 10 years, has an MA in transpersonal counseling psychology, and is an adjunct faculty member of Naropa University. He is a spiritual director at the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, Colorado, as well as for clients worldwide.
Excerpt
This book is a complete handbook to Christian contemplation and the practice of centering prayer. A contemplative practice like centering prayer opens you to experiencing God. This book shows you how to journey on the path of centering prayer, a path leading to interior union with Christ and increasing unity with all of life as it is found emerging in God. Although designed to show advanced practitioners how to deepen their centering prayer practice, The Path of Centering Prayer can also be used by beginners looking to establish such a practice.
Christian Contemplative Practice and Centering Prayer
Similar in many ways to meditation in other spiritual traditions, centering prayer is a method of silent, wordless prayer that comes out of the Christian contemplative tradition. Different contemplative practices have always existed in Christianity. Practices like the Jesus Prayer in the Orthodox Christian tradition, lectio divia—the “divine reading” of scripture—in the Roman Catholic tradition, and the silent worship of some Quaker and Protestant churches—have provided means for experiencing the contemplative dimension of the Gospel. The practice of centering prayer is primarily based on the teaching of a classic spiritual text from the fourteenth century, The Cloud of Unknowing. These and every specific form of Christian contemplative practice are rooted in the teachings of Jesus and his resurrected presence as the Christ. While rooted in Christ’s eternal presence and Jesus’ historical teachings, each of these forms of Christian contemplative prayer practice, like centering prayer, arose and were developed within the cultural conditions of the time.
Review
"Expanding on his mentor's (Father Thomas Keating) groundbreaking book Open Mind, Open Heart, Frenette takes Centering Prayer to a new level. Rooted in Christianity, Centering Prayer resonates on the same contemplative wavelength as Buddhist mindfulness practice. It transcends denominations and moves beyond the limitations of traditional, hierarchical Christian worship. Frenete is careful to keep his language inclusive, further opening the door to those who wish to explore rather than follow. Consider displaying this one with Father Keating's book and with The Cloud of Unknowing, one of the foundation texts of Centering Prayer." --Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight
"Frenette's enthusiasm for centering prayer, his use of illustrative material from his own life and mystical experiences, and his flair for creativity give this handbook a vibrancy that carries the reader along. We were especially taken with his comparisons of contemplation with dancing and with floating on water." --Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice.com
"This book in my view is the best, most comprehensive, and most practical book on centering prayer." --Father Thomas Keating
"In this beautiful book, David Frenette expands the map of the known Centering Prayer universe. With the blessing of his spiritual father, Thomas Keating, David develops and gently reshapes fundamental building blocks of the Centering Prayer teaching. This is an important moment in the Centering Prayer lineage transmission, when a faithful student emerges into mastery. David's work will breathe significant new life into your personal practice." --Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, author of Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening
"This excellent book represents Christianity come to maturity! Here you will find good theology, good practice, good psychology, and a recovery of the foundation itself--how to live in communion all the time." --Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, founding Director of the Center for Action and Contemplation
"With simplicity and great wisdom, David Frenette reconnects you to the universal tradition of how to open to God, how to pray in silence, and finally, how to let the spirit pray within your heart. If you want, or need, to be drawn deeper into prayer, read this book and live its guidance." --Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, PhD, Sufi teacher and author of Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi Mysticism
"In his lucid guide to Centering Prayer, David Frenette navigates a path for beginners and seasoned practitioners who wish to enter ever-deepening states of loving friendship with the Divine." --Mirabai Starr, author of God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
"This wonderful book provides direction, encouragement, and support for a prayer practice with ancient roots. Drawing on his considerable experience as a spiritual director, David Frenette skillfully shares stories and offers wisdom that illuminates the heart of the practice and will lead practitioners through the subtle challenges that inevitably arise in the process of living into ever-deepening levels of prayer. This is a book not only to be read, but to be consulted regularly for insight and help along the way." --The Right Reverend Robert O'Neill, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado
"The Path of Centering Prayer is a beam of light in what can sometimes be a dark and unknown journey with God. It is written from the heart of David's relationship with God and his discoveries along his contemplative journey in solitude, in community, and in spiritual direction. From this place of wisdom, David enlightens readers with encouragement and enrichment, which will nourish them in their own commitment to the centering prayer practice and the contemplative life." --Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, President of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.
"This book has three qualities that make it so helpful to read. First, David Frenette is clearly speaking out of his experience of centering prayer as a path to God. This experiential voice cuts through theoretical explanations and helps us come to our own intimate desire to experience God's presence in our lives. Second, his frequent references to The Cloud of Unknowing and other classical texts of mystic teachers bear witness to this book's fidelity to the ancient and timeless wisdom of contemplative Christianity. And third, David guides us along the contemplative path in an inviting and accessible style--well suited to both sincere beginners and to those who are more well-seasoned in following the interior path that David Frenette invites us to follow." --James Finley, PhD, Core Teacher of the Center for Action and Contemplation
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
From the Publisher
David Frenette, author of <iThe Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God</i, is a leader and senior teacher in the Centering Prayer movement, and a friend and advisor of Father Thomas Keating for 30 years. He co-created and co-led a contemplative retreat community for 10 years, has an MA in transpersonal counseling psychology, and is an adjunct faculty member of Naropa University. He is a spiritual director at the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, Colorado, as well as for clients worldwide.Father Thomas KeatingFather Thomas Keating draws from over 60 years of study and prayer as a Trappist monk in sharing the wisdom of 20 centuries of the contemplative Christian tradition. One of the principal architects of the contemplative Christian prayer movement, Father Keating co-founded the Snowmass Interreligious Conference and Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., and is author of many books, including <iOpen Mind, Open Heart</i. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
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Product details
ASIN : B008S28JRI
Publisher : Sounds True (1 September 2012)
Language : English
File size : 866 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 243 pages
Best Sellers Rank: 112,091 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
40 in Prayer (Kindle Store)
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98 in Christian Prayer
Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars 112 ratings
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kara b.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2017
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Incredibly sensitive and profoundly wise book takes Centering Prayer to a whole new level of insight
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H
3.0 out of 5 stars Good for some..not quite my thing as more complex than I wanted
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2018
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It more serious and harder rad than expected
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Tom
5.0 out of 5 stars Just as Fr. Thomas said - the best book on CP
Reviewed in Canada on 28 February 2019
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Very well written, practical manual of the CP. Would recommend it to a friend. Thank you.
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Sister John Ogilvie
5.0 out of 5 stars The Path of Centering Prayer
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 December 2012
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I am proposing to use this with my Centering Prayer group in the New Year. I have started reading it myself and I am very pleased with the content.
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Rich Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Deepen Your Centering Prayer Practice!
Reviewed in the United States on 13 December 2017
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“This book looks at ways to deepen your centering prayer practice in order to help orient you to receive the gift of contemplation.”
Book Structure
The Path of Centering Prayer is nicely divided into two parts:
Part I – Deepening Your Centering Prayer Practice
Part II – Contemplative Attitudes
Let me share my five takeaways from this wonderful book.
The Sacred Word
“The sacred word is often a more natural way of practicing centering prayer for auditory learners.”
“The sacred breath is often a more helpful symbol for kinesthetic learners.”
“The sacred glance is often a more helpful symbol for visual learners.”
Everyone seems to learn in a different manner. I started my practice with the use of a sacred word. While I read a Richard Rohr meditation, I came across a beautiful Jesus icon. I began to use this interior image as my sacred word and have continued to do so to this day. I center with my eyes closed.
My sixteen year old daughter practices centering prayer with me. She is fearful that she will fall asleep so I taught her the sacred glance. With her eyes open, she stares at a spot three to five feet in front of her during our silent sits.
I encourage you to find the appropriate sacred symbol as your intention to open to the presence and action of God.
Purification
“The most important thing that is purified in contemplation is your sense of being separate from God.”
I sit with Jesus. When I arise from my sit, I do not leave Jesus. I like to think that I sit with Jesus so I can walk with Jesus in my everyday life. I am never separate from God. Jesus is my constant companion and partner.
Gentleness
“Gentleness is necessary for the deepening of centering prayer.”
“Let contemplation come effortlessly to you, as a continual gift out of the gifting nature of God.”
“Contemplation is effortless in the same way that the falling of snow is effortless.”
“In contemplative practice, you gradually find that you are drawn into letting your effort burn away, letting it evaporate in the radiant light of God’s gentleness.”
“The presence of God is continually acting in you, but very gently.”
“How does it look when the contemplative attitudes of gentleness and effortlessness begin to surface in life?”
God is a gentle and loving presence. God is very patient. God’s patience is evident by the amount of time that transpired between the birth of the universe, the creation of the earth and finally the Incarnation of God in human form: Jesus.
I can take this same gentle, effortless and patient attitude from my silent sit and use it in my everyday life: work, home and in the community. It is a paradox. I seem to be much more productive when I act in an effortless, gentle and patient manner.
This effortless, gentle and patient disposition is a wonderful gift of contemplative prayer!
Let Go
“Letting go is at the heart of centering prayer.”
“As centering prayer deepens, letting go yields to letting be—being in God’s Being.”
“The contemplative attitudes of letting go and letting be open you to God’s nature, which is love.”
“Letting go and letting be in life mean letting God become the source of every moment, every relationship, and every activity.”
“You learn to float in God in prayer in order to swim with God in life.”
During centering prayer I move from letting go to letting be. I allow myself to rest in God’s presence. I trust that all I need at this very minute is to be held and engulfed by the loving arms of God who is Love.
I can take this same attitude with me into my non silent times of the day. If I am anxious or worried, I will take a silent pause, let go and rest in God’s Being. When I am stuck on a problem at work, I will pause, let the problem go, and rest for a minute in God’s Love.
As David mentions, we learn to float in God in prayer in order to swim with God in life. Our silent sits serve as valuable practices for our daily life encounters. My silent sits teach me how to live each day!
Embrace Your Emotions
“By resisting emotions, you also resist the transforming action of God.”
“Embracing is an active contemplative attitude that helps you shift into a deep perspective of faith.”
“Feelings are a gift, a part of human experience to be embraced.”
“In other words, one of the best ways of letting go of an emotion is simply to feel it.”
I remember my first sit after my father passed away. As I began my prayer time, I sobbed and allowed myself to grieve. I utilized my sacred icon to open to the presence and action of God within. I continued to cry, let go, and open to the presence and action of God within over and over and over again. Finally I rested in God who is Love and transcends my emotions.
Next Steps
“Let one of these attitudes stay with you, as a gift that you take back with you into your practice, to guide you more deeply into contemplative relationship with God. The greatest gift on the contemplative path is God. May you realize your life in God’s dance. May you embrace and be embraced by your own true partner.”
“The contemplative path brings you first from seeing God as a thought of yours to the experience that God is beyond thoughts, then to the greater mystery of realizing yourself as a thought in the mind, being, and emergent life of God.”
Pick one or two of the contemplative attitudes mentioned in Part II of this book and allow it to move from your prayer time and penetrate your everyday life.
As you deepen your centering prayer practice your life and God’s life will be more and more intertwined!
I will continue to come back to this powerful book. I encourage you to read The Path of Centering Prayer.
Rich Lewis
SilenceTeaches.com
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William Youmans
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable Guide to Centering Prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 11 April 2019
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David Frenette has written a comprehensive and useful guide to Centering Prayer. His urging to go beyond duality and to allow the Higher Power to pray through you, and to leave behind the sense of self is powerful and inspiring.
I wish he did not feel obligated to designate God in strict Catholic terms , specifically describing Centering Prayer as “Trinitarian” or aimed at “the Trinity”. This reinforces the idea that God is separate from us and is essentially dualistic. It gives rise to self-contradictory passages like, “Perfect formlessness is the purest form of prayer...There is just god who is Trinitarian rather than a thing.” Most teachers of Centering Prayer fall into such traps, because they are under attack by rigid, dogmatic conservatives in the Church, who regard mysticism as heretical. These closed minded people rightly see that in Centering Prayer and contemplation, the demarcation between “God” and us disappears, and we even drop the very idea of”God” and go beyond it. The truth is, Centering Prayer and indeed contemplative experiences reveal that there is no boundary between the ultimate and us - not the false self of us, but the true us, which actually is pure consciousness beyond self.
So Centering Prayer teachers are forced continually to affirm that the practice is “Christological” in Keating’s term, or aimed at Christ. This cannot be, because Centering Prayer goes beyond FORMS. Christ, the Logos, is a form. In Centering Prayer, we discard all forms and names and simply give way to existence. It’s too bad, since Centering Prayer could be UNIVERSAL, even for atheists, if properly understood, because at its deepest levels it refers only to pure existence itself.
In spite of this though, Frenette completely understands the universal truth of Centering Prayer and elucidates it with great facility. Terrific.
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Lindsay Boyer
5.0 out of 5 stars The best guide to centering prayer for experienced practitioners
Reviewed in the United States on 6 September 2012
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In the interests of full disclosure, let me say right away that I played a small role in editing The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God and have assisted David Frenette for the past three years with a regular retreat that he gave based on the material in this book. However, the reason that I have chosen to be involved with David's work is that I find his approach to be the most helpful I have encountered in terms of providing practical guidance for the experienced centering prayer practitioner and I wanted to play a role in disseminating his teachings. I am a trained spiritual director with thirteen years of experience, I have taught at Union Theological Seminary and have led a weekly centering prayer group for the past six years.
Centering prayer is a method of silent contemplative prayer that comes out of the teachings of the Christian tradition. In the fourteen years that I have been practicing centering prayer, I have found that there is a wealth of material out there for the beginning centering prayer student and many good books on the theological background of the prayer, but it is more difficult to find help for the experienced practitioner. When I heard David Frenette speak for the first time four years ago, I knew I had finally found the teacher I had been looking for. David has been practicing and teaching centering prayer under the guidance of Thomas Keating for over 25 years and he has a great gift for describing the subtle interior experience of the prayer. The experience of sitting in silent contemplation can be very hard to talk about, even for those who have been practicing for a long time. David is very good at describing and addressing concerns and problems that may arise. I believe that the qualities that I have appreciated in his spoken teaching are very present in this book.
Thomas Keating in his classic Open Mind Open Heart mentions that centering prayer may be practiced using several different forms of the sacred symbol: the sacred word, the sacred breath, the sacred glance, or the sacred nothingness. However, almost all teachers of centering prayer focus entirely on the sacred word and often do not even refer to the other symbols. In the first part of The Path of Centering Prayer, David expands in very practical detail on the use of each of these sacred symbols, discussing how each may be suited for different people at different seasons of the spiritual journey. Those who have been using the sacred word may find their practice enriched and refreshed when they experiment with another of the sacred symbols, or may even find that their practice has naturally evolved into the use of one of the other symbols and that David's teachings may help to illuminate and affirm this natural evolution. The sacred word may sometimes come to feel a little bit harsh or overly conceptual, and the use of the other symbols may provide a valuable opportunity for the deepening of the practice.
The second part of the book looks at eight contemplative attitudes: receiving, consent, simplicity, gentleness, letting go, resting, embracing, and integrating. These attitudes represent subtly different ways of being in the prayer that allow one to relate to the sacred symbol more and more deeply. David describes in these chapters how one may move from a more active disposition into an attitude in which one is completely receptive to God's action. David has a very gentle way of describing the prayer in these chapters that conveys the feeling of being in the prayer. There is always tension involved in trying to explain contemplative prayer, a non-intellectual way of being, in words and concepts. I find that David's approach allows me to remain in a contemplative mode without leading me away from the contemplative space.
Since I came to David's work as a more experienced practitioner of the prayer, it's harder for me to address how this book will be received by less experienced practitioners. It is meant to be a guide for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. I know that there have been beginning practitioners on the retreats who have very much enjoyed them. David's approach seems to me to be very respectful of the different places where people are in regard to the prayer. I believe that David always speaks up to his audience, never down. Newcomers may often understand the prayer very deeply and may appreciate being invited into the richness that this book offers.
The Path of Centering Prayer is full of stories from David's experience and quotations from the spiritual classics that help to bring it to life. David's teachings come out of himself, his long practice of the prayer, and his rootedness in the tradition of the prayer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to go more deeply into this method of contemplation. Because of its very detailed and practical discussion of contemplative prayer methods, it may also be of interest to non-Christian practitioners of meditation and prayer.
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anonymous
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful exposition of contemplative prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 12 October 2012
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This book is beautifully written from the author's personal experience of contemplative prayer over several decades.
The first part discusses the basic practice of centering prayer, and then moves to the subtler areas of deepening contemplative prayer. It addresses common problems of the practitioner, and the author offers practical detailed advice with case studies from his former students and spiritual directees.
The second half of the book I think is most exquisite. The author discusses the contemplative attitudes, or perhaps one could say the fruits, of contemplative prayer that are revealed in daily life and how to foster them. Such qualities as simplicity, gentleness, letting go, resting in God, embracing, and finally integrating one's experience of prayer into one's daily life, are spoken of as possible to attain through fidelity to prayer. Lest you wonder if these lovely attitudes really can be developed through prayer, one needs only to study with David Frenette to experience the fruit of his own prayer as he is a living embodiment of what he writes about. The beauty is that he addresses not only in delicate detail the process of prayer itself, but how the earnest practice of contemplative prayer transforms the practitioner from the inside out. His encouraging and personal style is inspiring to the reader. This is a book to read slowly and to savor, and gives one much hope for the joys to come through faithful practice of prayer.
A helpful guide for the beginner to get started on solid ground, and a unique treasure of a guide for the more mature practitioner of contemplative prayer. Highly recommended.
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Amos Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars I have read at least a dozen books on Centering Prayer and this is the deepest.
Reviewed in the United States on 6 December 2014
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I have read at least a dozen books on Centering Prayer and this is the deepest. Frenette is one of Thomas Keating closest students of Centering Prayer—he was with Keating on some his first Centering Prayer retreats. Frenette must make Keating proud. This is self-evident in the forward written by Keating. Here is a student who has taken Centering Prayer to the next level. Frenette not only understands the deepest states of Centering Prayer experientially (distinctions between union where there is still awareness of a self and full union where there is no awareness of self). He also has a facility with language that surpasses many practitioners of Centering Prayer. I hope that Frenette writes more books because we need his depth of consciousness and his nondual awareness within Christian Tradition to help awaken it from the inside.
I love how Frenette, like his teacher Keating, uses the rich and inexhaustible depths within Christian tradition as a resource for understanding the heights and depths of awareness in prayer. Frenette doesn’t feel the need to dig outside of Christian tradition. He digs one well, the Christian well deeper and deeper and deeper, until he arrives at wellsprings of water, which will quench the thirst of the most committed students of Centering Prayer.
This is a book that I have poured over and underlined. It is one that will be placed at the top of my bookshelf and which I will read again and again. I can’t recommend this book enough, especially for the adept student of Centering Prayer, who practiced for years.
Now when a wild eyed long-term student of Tibetan Buddhism who is also fascinated with Christian Mysticism talks to me (one did two weeks ago), I will have a book to recommend! I admire Frenette’s commitment to prayer and his beautiful examination of the depths of silent prayer within Christian tradition!
-Amos Smith (author of Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots)
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EJD
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on centering prayer I've read.
Reviewed in the United States on 26 August 2017
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I find David Frenettes book the clearest and best writing on centering prayer out there. This has been my own prayer practice for over 20 years, and much of the what he says rings true to my own experience. It's easy to get caught up in explanations that are so complex that the practice of centering prayer is actually obscured. Probably reflecting the depth and simplicity of his own prayer practice, David manages to avoid this common problem.
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Carl Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Guide to Contemplative Prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 1 April 2013
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As a long-time contemplative prayer practitioner, I've read many books on the subject. Frenette's is in a class by itself, particularly for the experienced practitioner. I most appreciated his exposition of "Sacred Nothingness" which goes a long way toward illuminating Christian contemplative prayer as a means of self-emptying and opening to the Divine as the boundless and beyond grasping Presence within which we "live, and move, and have our being".
After my first reading, I immediately read it again, being even more impressed by the depth, warmth, and clarity of David's words. Then I ordered a second copy to loan to friends. Thomas Keating's assessment that this is "the best, most comprehensive, and practical book on centering prayer" says it all.
Buy it. Read it. Live it.
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Doane
5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightened
Reviewed in the United States on 30 June 2013
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Frenette's prose reminds me of the great mystics of the past, inspiring the reader to practice and giving helpful hints. He explains the depths of the contemplative experience from the inside. Clearly, he has been through what he talks about, and has experience with others on the path.
Rarely do you see someone from our time so steeped in this subject. I was astonished and gladdened to see such an enlightened description of the contemplative prayer process in contemporary language. He never gets off point that we are all united in God and can learn to experience that.
Frenette does not tone it down for the beginner, which is refreshing. That makes it useful for the advanced contemplative, but does not talk down to newcomers.
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OregonBG
5.0 out of 5 stars A deeply gentle and welcoming journey into the depths of centering prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 16 December 2017
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This is a beautiful invitation into the world of centering prayer. The author skillfully appeals to readers and practitioners of all levels, drawing upon decades of his own personal and communal experience. There is a profound gentleness and depth to this book, a welcoming and personal feel I found encouraging. I especially appreciated the author's emphasis on the helpfulness of our intentions, and the posture of our hearts and attitudes toward experiencing the loving Presence. I anticipate returning to this rich resource as trusted companion along the spiritual journey ahead.
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Martin Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible Invitation
Reviewed in the United States on 15 October 2012
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I have read and reread Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault and found it a great book for someone who has practiced Centering Prayer for a while 'The Path of Centering Prayer" goes another step for the experienced practitioner. After the first reading I feel I have only skimmed the surface of what Mr. Frenette has said; the book deserves subsequent readings. As I read I get the feeling of walking down a spiral staircase deeper into the practice to help me rise above where I am currently in my practice. Mr. Frenette's teachings are accessible and the "Path of Centering Prayer" is a marvelous invitation to deepen your Centering Prayer practice. I highly recommend this book.
24 people found this helpful
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Joelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and a useful tool to have
Reviewed in the United States on 30 March 2016
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This book is very helpful for any individual hoping to improve their spiritual life. The author uses a step by step approach to mastering the practice of centering prayer. Information about the history of this practice is shared. Well written and a useful tool to have.
3 people found this helpful
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William F. Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars A lifetime keeper
Reviewed in the United States on 2 January 2014
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I have been on two 9 day silent retreats with the author. I was one of about 80 so do not think this is a BFF review. This book is excellent for folks who already practice centering prayer. It covers the same material as the retreat, although the order is a bit different. I like reading this book by alternating chapters from part I and Part II. It provides a mix of technique and attitudes. For beginners (and for the rest of us) I highly recommend Cynthia Bourgeault's book Centering Prayer, Inner Awakening and Wisdom Jesus). David Frenette's book provides guidance for deepening of the practice.
2 people found this helpful
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Vincent Van Gogh-san
5.0 out of 5 stars A New Father Keating Emerges!
Reviewed in the United States on 21 August 2017
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Just when you think that nothing else could be said about Centering Prayer, along comes David Frenette! Boom! It's all new again! If you were one of the few who moaned, "Another book about Centering Prayer?" I say, *YES!* It is clear reading the glowing remarks Fr. Thomas Keating has to say about David and his masterful teaching of the Centering Prayer method that David will soon be the anointed leader of Contemplative Outreach international. David is the new Father K eating!
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Mary A. Flanagan
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful contribution to the centering prayer community
Reviewed in the United States on 23 April 2013
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David's experience and spiritual direction ministry bring known theory to a new and practical dimension. For long time practitioners he offers very helpful suggestions to assist the maturing in their own practice. I am only half way through the book and am advertising it everywhere I go. I am eager to move into the second half of the book where he will further develop notions regarding the dispositions of centering prayer. The book makes a real contribution to the Centering Prayer library ; it is also a real gift to people who are relatively isolated from support groups or distant from educational opportunities beyond earlier formation in centering prayer.
Thank you so much David Frenette
4 people found this helpful
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Christopher Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars This book explains the how's and why's of centering prayer.
Reviewed in the United States on 18 April 2020
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This book is perfect for the person wanting to understand Centering Prayer: Its origin and practice. This book will show you how to do centering prayer and give you understanding.
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Sugar Bear
5.0 out of 5 stars Depth and New Ideas and New Ways of Centering Prayer
Reviewed in the United States on 2 October 2014
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I have nearly completed this for a class I am in. It has turned out to have much more depth than I thought it would. So it has been of great assistance to me, not only as a review, but also with new ideas and new ways of looking at the "old tried and true". I recommend this to anyone wanting to start a contemplative journey and also to those more experienced.
3 people found this helpful
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