Christian meditation is meditation in a Christian context. The word meditation has come to have two different meanings: (1) continued, intent, focused thought; and (2) a state of quiet, intentionally unfocused, "contentless" awareness. This double meaning has contributed to misunderstanding and disagreement about the nature, role, and even the appropriateness of Christian meditation. Traditionally, the word meditation (meditatio) had the first meaning, and another word, contemplation (contemplatio) was used for the second. (These words, however, have nearly the reverse meanings in Eastern spiritual traditions, contributing to the confusion.) As the present article reflects this dual meaning, the reader is advised to keep the issue in mind. A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... Contemplation comes from the latin root for temple, and means to enter an open or consecrated place. ...

History

Scriptural Basis

Christian meditation is often associated with prayer or scripture study. It is rooted in the Bible, which directs its readers to meditate. In Joshua 1:8, God commands his people to meditate on his word day and night to instill obedience. The psalmist says that "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2). The Bible mentions meditate or meditation twenty times. Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. ...

In the Old Testament, there are two Hebrew words for meditation: hāgâ (Hebrew: הגה‎), which means to sigh or murmur, but also to meditate, and sîḥâ (Hebrew: שיחה‎), which means to muse, or rehearse in one's mind. Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh to refer to its canon, which corresponds to the Protestant Old Testament. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ...

Lectio Divina

Formal Christian meditation began with the early Christian monastic practice of reading the Bible slowly. Monks would carefully consider the deeper meaning of each verse as they read it. This slow and thoughtful reading of Scripture, and the ensuing pondering of its meaning, was their meditation. This spiritual practice is called "divine reading", or lectio divina. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ... Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. ... A spiritual practice, spiritual discipline or spiritual exercise (sadhana) includes any activity that one associates with cultivating spirituality. ... Lectio Divina is Latin for “spiritual reading” and represents an early Roman Catholic monastic technique of prayer that continues in practice though less widely, intended to achieve communion with God as well as providing special spiritual insights and peace from that experience. ...

Sometimes the monks found themselves spontaneously praying as a result of their meditation on Scripture, and their prayer would in turn lead on to a simple, loving focus on God. This wordless love for God they called contemplation. Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Contemplation comes from the latin root for temple, and means to enter an open or consecrated place. ...

The progression from Bible reading, to meditation, to prayer, to loving regard for God, was first formally described by Guigo II, a Carthusian monk and prior of Grande Chartreuse in the 12th century. Guigo named the four steps of this "ladder" of prayer with the Latin terms lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. Coat of arms of the Carthusian order Monasterio de la Cartuja, a former Carthusian monastery in Seville The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ...

The Cloud of Unknowing (14th century)

The Cloud of Unknowing, an anonymous treatise written in England in the 14th century, is a concise and practical primer on contemplative prayer. The author's premise is that, to experience God, one must strive for a "darkness about your mind, or as it were, a cloud of unknowing." To do this, one must fix one's heart on God, forgetting all else. The Cloud of Unknowing is a practical spiritual guidebook thought to have been written in the 14th century by an anonymous English monk who counsels a young student to seek God not through knowledge but through love. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556)

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola contain numerous meditative exercises. For example, the practitioner is encouraged to visualize and meditate upon scenes from the life of Christ. His Contemplation to Attain Love (of God), is, in a sense, a method that combines intellectual meditation and more affective (emotional) contemplation. The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola is a brief set of meditations, prayers and mental exercises, available in various book formats, designed to be carried out over over a period of 28 to 30 days. ... Ignatius of Loyola Saint Ignatius of Loyola (December 24, 1491? – July 31, 1556), baptized Íñigo López de Loyola, was the founder of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order commonly known as the Jesuits that was established to strengthen the Church, initially against Protestantism. ...

St. Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

St. Teresa of Avila practiced contemplative prayer for periods of one hour at a time, twice a day. In her Life she recounts that she found this very difficult for the first several years. She had no one to teach her, and taught herself from the instructions given in a book, The Third Spiritual Alphabet by Francisco de Osuna. Her starting point was the practice of "recollection". Recollection means an effort of the will to keep the senses and the intellect in check and not allow them to stray. One restricts the attention to a single subject, principally the love of God. "It is called recollection because the soul collects together all the faculties and enters within itself to be with God", she says in The way of perfection. Because St Teresa found it difficult to concentrate, she would use devices such as short readings from an inspiring book, a scene of natural beauty or a religious statue or picture to remind her of her intended focus. In due course, the mind becomes effortlessly still. The initial practice St Teresa viewed as the voluntary effort of the individual, while the subsequent stillness and joy she saw as gifts from God. Teresa of Avila by Peter Paul Rubens Saint Teresa of Avila (known in religion as Teresa de Jesús, baptised as Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) was a Spanish Roman Catholic mystic and monastic reformer; born at Avila (53 miles north-west of Madrid), Old Castile, March 28, 1515; died... Teresa of Avila by Peter Paul Rubens Saint Teresa of Avila (known in religion as Teresa de Jesús, baptised as Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) was a Spanish Roman Catholic mystic and monastic reformer; born at Avila (53 miles north-west of Madrid), Old Castile, March 28, 1515; died... Teresa of Avila by Peter Paul Rubens Saint Teresa of Avila (known in religion as Teresa de Jesús, baptised as Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) was a Spanish Roman Catholic mystic and monastic reformer; born at Avila (53 miles north-west of Madrid), Old Castile, March 28, 1515; died...

Her best-known book on meditation and prayer is The Interior Castle. El Castillo Interior (trans. ...

Madame Guyon (1648–1717)

Jeanne-Marie Bouvier de la Motte-Guyon (1648-1717) was a French mystic and writer. As a 19-year-old, she was greatly influenced by an encounter with a Franciscan priest who had just emerged from a five-year retreat. She asked him why she was having such difficulties with prayer, and he replied: "It is, Madame, because you seek without what you have within. Accustom yourself to seek God in your heart, and there you will find Him". In her mid-thirties, Madame Guyon wrote her Moyen court et très facile de faire oraison, which in English is titled A short and very easy method of prayer[1]. (Note that the book Experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ, which poses as a translation, is in fact an interpretive revision.) Categories: People stubs | 1648 births | 1717 deaths ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The mysticism of Madame Guyon is generally considered a form of quietism, which is very strongly discouraged, even to the point of being considered heresy, by the Roman Catholic Church. Quietism is a term with multiple meanings and definitions. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic...

The 20th Century

Two contemporary forms of Christian meditation emerged during the twentieth century.

• Fr. John Main, O.S.B. (1926–1982) was a Benedictine monk and priest who presented a way of Christian meditation which utilizes the practice of a prayer-phrase or mantra. In his method, one recites a prayer-phrase as a means of placing everything aside. In this way, instead of talking to God, one is just being with God, allowing God’s presence to fill his heart, thus transforming his inner being. Fr. Main's teachings drew on parallels he saw between the spiritual practice taught by Desert Father John Cassian and the meditative practice he had been taught by the Swami Satyanandain in Kuala Lumpur.^[1] His work is continued by Fr. Laurence Freeman, O.S.B.

• Fr. William Meninger, O.C.S.O., Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O., and Fr. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O., were the leading proponents of the Centering Prayer method. Here a sacred word is used to express only the intention to be in God's presence, placing everything else aside. As with Fr. Main's method, the goal is for one to just be with God, allowing God’s presence and action to fill his inner being.

The forms of prayer described above are part of the apophatic tradition and are quite distinct from, for example, the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. John Main (1926 – 1982), was a Benedictine monk who opened a meditation centre for lay people at his monastery in London, England, in 1975. ... St Benedict of Nursia (c. ... St Benedict of Nursia (c. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... John Main (1926 – 1982), was a Benedictine monk who opened a meditation centre for lay people at his monastery in London, England, in 1975. ... John Main (1926 – 1982), was a Benedictine monk who opened a meditation centre for lay people at his monastery in London, England, in 1975. ... The Desert Fathers were Christian Hermits who lived in the Sahara desert of Egypt, beginning in about the third century. ... John Cassian (c. ... Swami playing the Harmonium Swami is a primarily Hindu honorific, loosely akin to master. It is derived from the Sanskrit language and means owner of oneself, denoting complete mastery over instinctive and lower urges. ... Nickname: Motto: Maju dan makmur (Malay: Progress and Prosper) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: , Country Malaysia State Federal Territory Establishment 1857 Granted city status 1974 Government  - Mayor (Datuk Bandar) Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan From 14 December 2006 Area  - City 243. ... New Melleray Abbey, near Peosta, Iowa. ... Fr. ... New Melleray Abbey, near Peosta, Iowa. ... Fr. ... New Melleray Abbey, near Peosta, Iowa. ... Centering prayer is a popular method of contemplative prayer, placing a strong emphasis on interior quiet and the experience of Gods presence. ... Negative theology - also known as the Via Negativa (Latin for Negative Way) and Apophatic theology - is a theology that attempts to describe God by negation, to speak of God only in terms of what may not be said about God. ... The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola is a brief set of meditations, prayers and mental exercises, available in various book formats, designed to be carried out over a period of 28 to 30 days. ... Ignatius of Loyola Saint Ignatius of Loyola (December 24, 1491? – July 31, 1556), baptized Íñigo López de Loyola, was a co-founder of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order commonly known as the Jesuits that was established to strengthen the Church, initially against Protestantism. ...

Theology of Christian meditation

In Hinduism, meditation as a component of Yoga is one path to attain enlightenment, union with (or company of) God. Christians agree that meditation is an effective technique to quiet and clear the mind, as preparation for God's inspiration. But meditation is not an alternative to Christ as a means to salvation or theosis, but only a method of spiritual discipline like prayer and fasting.^[2] For Christians, meditation can be considered a form of worship, centred in love. Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Statue of Shiva performing Yogic meditation Yoga (Devanagari: योग) is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. ... Christ is the English term for the Greek word (Christós), which literally means The Anointed One. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In Eastern Orthodox and... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. ...

Christian meditation: many strands

Catholic traditions

• Ignatius of Loyola
• Thomas Merton
• Bede Griffiths
• John Main
• Gregorian Chant
• Prayer beads (Rosary, Jesus Prayer)
• Divine Mercy
• Sacred Heart of Jesus

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, also known as Ignacio (Iñigo) López de Loyola (December 24, 1491 – July 31, 1556), was the principal founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus, a religious order of the Catholic Church professing direct service to the Pope in terms of mission. ... Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915 – December 10, 1968) was one of the most influential Catholic authors of the 20th century. ... Alan Richard Griffiths (17 December 1906 Walton-on-Thames, England - 13 May 1993, Shantivanam, South India) was a British-born mystic who lived in an ashram, called Shantivanam, in south India. ... John Main (1926 – 1982), was a Benedictine monk who opened a meditation centre for lay people at his monastery in London, England, in 1975. ... Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Prayer beads are traditionally used to keep count of the repetitions of prayers, chants or devotions. ... Our Lady of Lourdes - Mary appearing at Lourdes with Rosary beads. ... Christogram with Jesus Prayer in Romanian: Doamne Iisuse Hristoase, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, miluieşte-mă pe mine păcătosul. ... The Divine Mercy is a Christian devotion focused on the mercy of God and its power, particularly as a form of thanksgiving and entrusting of oneself to Gods mercy. ... Jesus Sacred Heart The Sacred Heart is a devotional name used by some Roman Catholics to refer to Jesus. ...

Orthodox traditions

• Jesus Prayer
• Hesychasts
• Apophatic theology

Christogram with Jesus Prayer in Romanian: Doamne Iisuse Hristoase, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, miluieşte-mă pe mine păcătosul. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Negative theology, also known as the Via Negativa (Lat. ...

Protestant traditions

• Quakers, including Richard Foster
• Unity Church.
• Emerging Church
• Johannes Kelpius

-1... Richard Foster Richard J. Foster is a Christian theologian and author in the Quaker tradition, though his writings speak to a broader Christian audience. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Unity (also known as... The emerging church is a controversial[1] 21st-century Protestant Christian movement whose participants seek to be like the christians mentioned in Revelation 3:16 and to engage postmodern people, especially the unchurched and post-churched. ... Johannes Kelpius (1673-1708), a German Pietist, mystic, musician, and writer, interested in the occult, botany, and astronomy, came to believe with his followers in the Society of the Woman in the Wilderness that the end of the world would occur in 1694. ...

Ecumenical traditions

• Taizé Community

Prayer in the Church of Reconciliation at Taizé The Taizé Community is an ecumenical Christian mens monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. ...

Criticism

Some Christians believe that contemplative meditation is dangerous, warning of its similarity to mysticism and New Age practices: New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ...

"There is a difference between reading the Word and understanding its meaning versus a method of focusing on a single word to gain a mystical experience. ...Why is it necessary to do this at all? For two thousand years, since Christ’s ascension, His followers have been able to gain assurance of God's presence in their lives through the knowledge that He has risen and now dwells in their hearts. ...By using this practice, we are turning the Bible into a mystical device for personal revelations rather than a source of knowledge."^[3]

"Meditation is the basic activity that underlies all metaphysics and is the primary source of spiritual direction for the New Age person. We need only observe the emphasis which is placed on meditation to see the importance of it in New Age thought."^[4]

Notes

1. ^ "John Main’s Monastic Adventure". Fr. Laurence Freeman, O.S.B.. Retrieved on 16 November 2006.
2. ^ Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline (1978), ISBN 0-06-062839-1
3. ^ "Lectio Divina - Sacred Divination"
4. ^ Ray Yungen, For Many Shall Come in My Name (1991), 2007 edition: ISBN 0-97215129-X web reference

November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Foster Richard J. Foster is a Christian theologian and author in the Quaker tradition, though his writings speak to a broader Christian audience. ...

See also

• Contemplative prayer
• World Community for Christian Meditation
• Christian anarchism
• Christian mysticism
• Inner light
• Saint John of the Cross
• The Cloud of Unknowing
• Listening Prayer
• Centering Prayer
• John Cassian
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus
• Trinity
• Henri Nouwen
• Taizé Community
• Sacred Space
• Christian Meditation Music

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The World Community for Christian Meditation was founded to foster the teachings of Benedictine monk, John Main. ... Christian anarchism is any of several traditions which combine anarchism with Christianity. ... Mysticism is the philosophy and practice of a direct experience of God. ... The concept of the Inner Light is central to many versions of Quaker (or Religious Society of Friends) theology. ... Saint John of the Cross (Juan de la Cruz) was a Spanish Carmelite friar, born on June 24, 1542 at Fontiveros, a small village near Avila. ... The Cloud of Unknowing is a practical spiritual guidebook thought to have been written in the 14th century by an anonymous English monk who counsels a young student to seek God not through knowledge but through love. ... Listening Prayer is a new kind of prayer proposed at the 1990s. ... Centering prayer is a popular method of contemplative prayer, placing a strong emphasis on interior quiet and the experience of Gods presence. ... John Cassian (c. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... This article or section contains too many quotations for an encyclopedic entry. ... Henri Nouwen teaching at the Yale Divinity School in 1971. ... Prayer in the Church of Reconciliation at Taizé The Taizé Community is an ecumenical Christian mens monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Since the term New Age Music meets with disapproval among some Christians,[1] the expression Christian Meditation Music is sometimes used[2] to describe similar music produced by members of the Christian faith community. ...

External links

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• The Voice In The Stillness – overview of Christian meditation techniques
• Meditating on the Scriptures by Charles Spurgeon.
• The Rosary
• Contemplative Prayer Critique
• The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila online (CCEL)
• The Contemplation to Attain Love of St. Ignatius of Loyola
• Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day