Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation [Hardcover]

Martin Laird (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

Sitting in stillness, the practice of meditation, and the cultivation of awareness are commonly thought to be the preserves of Hindus and Buddhists. Martin Laird shows that the Christian tradition of contemplation has its own refined teachings on using a prayer word to focus the mind, working with the breath to cultivate stillness, and the practice of inner vigilance or awareness. But this book is not a mere historical survey of these teachings. In Into the Silent Land, we see the ancient wisdom of both the Christian East and West brought sharply to bear on the modern-day longing for radical openness to God in the depths of the heart.
Laird's book is not like the many presentations for beginners. While useful for those just starting out, this book serves especially as a guide for those who desire to journey yet deeper into the silence of God. The heart of the book focuses on negotiating key moments of struggle on the contemplative path, when the whirlwind of distractions or the brick wall of boredom makes it difficult to continue. Laird shows that these inner struggles, even wounds, that any person of prayer must face, are like riddles, trying to draw out of us our own inner silence. Ultimately Laird shows how the wounds we loathe become vehicles of the healing silence we seek, beyond technique and achievement. Throughout the language is fresh, direct, and focused on real-life examples of people whose lives are incomparably enriched by the practice of contemplation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a beautifully written book. The language is profound, poetic, and free of worn cliches. It has obviously grown out of a life of study, erudition, and personal prayer." --Worship

"Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird is a wonderful introduction to the subject of contemplation. It has a vitality and relevance that are gripping. Contemplative books are often dry, but I found this a page-turner." --Church Times

"In a world hungering for practical spiritual direction on how to manage distractions, moods, bodily posture, breathing, suffering, illness, addiction, and dying, Laird's book stands out as a treasure to share with anyone who is seeking greater wisdom and peace. He provides us with an eminently accessible doorway into the land of God's loving silence." --Horizons

"Larid's book defines how to sink back in God's ground physically with breathing, mentally with "prayer words," and spiritually with interior surrender. Through anecdote, Scripture, and classic wisdom, Laird illuminates a Christian path into the silent land. An able guide, he makes the trip more than worth the journey." --Christianity Today

"This book is different. There are plenty of books on contemplation that feel rather tired--either wordy and labored or unhelpfully smooth and idealistic. But this is sharp, deep, with no clich�s, no psychobabble and no short cuts. Its honesty is bracing, its vision utterly clear; it is a rare treasure."--Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canterbury

"Often they say 'you learn how to swim by swimming' but a good coach or swimming manual is essential. Equally, we could say 'you learn how to be contemplative by contemplating' and a good guide or mentor is necessary. Into the Silent Land is just that. I tried it and it works. Try it."--Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

"This is a beautifully written book. The language is profound, poetic, and free of worn clich�s. It has obviously grown out of a life of study, erudition and personal prayer."--Worship

"Into the Silent Land is a beautiful and deeply consoling book, a reminder that prayer is both real and fundamentally simple. Not since Thomas Merton's Contemplative Prayer have I encountered a guide to contemplation this wise and compelling."--Douglas Burton-Christie, author of The Word in the Desert: Scripture and the Quest for Holiness in Early Christian Monasticism

"With wisdom born of a life of prayer and study, Martin Laird invites us out of distraction and into the silent land where God is waiting. Taking the realities of affliction, fear and failure seriously, Laird offers an approach to contemplative life that is within reach of us all." --Stephanie Paulsell, author of Honoring the Body: Meditations on a Christian Practice

"Martin Laird's book is a compelling introduction to contemplative prayer. He draws on insights from the Eastern Orthodox tradition of the Jesus Prayer, from the Western Carmelite tradition, from poets and novelists and from his own experience as retreat director and confessor. In the silent land, our wounds become radiant sources of compassion."--Andrew Louth, author of The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition: From Plato to Denys

"Into the Silent Land reflects a happy combination of wide learning, authentic spiritual experience, and clear jargon-free prose. This work should be of inestimable value for anyone interested in the Christian contemplative tradition of prayer."--Lawrence S. Cunningham, author of Thomas Merton and the Monastic Vision

About the Author

Martin Laird, O.S.A., is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University. He has studied patristics in Rome, London, and Oxford, and has extensive training in contemplative disciplines and gives retreats throughout the United States and Great Britain. He is the translator or author of a host of books and articles, including Gregory of Nyssa and the Grasp of Faith: Union, Knowledge and Divine Presence (OUP, 2004).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195307607
• ISBN-13: 978-0195307603
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #29,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Meditations
  • #80 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Worship & Devotion > Meditations

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a spiritual treasure, June 26, 2006

By 

M. VanEtten "nose-in-a-book" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation (Hardcover)

This book is a true gem. It is a wonderful guide for anyone seriously interested in contemplative prayer. Laird draws on the spiritual traditions of both Eastern and Western Christianity to produce a true classic, filled with practical guidance about the method of contemplative prayer, the difficulties and distractions (and how they can become gifts), and the way contemplation can teach us to deal with afflictive emotions and situations. Laird writes for the experienced person as well as (perhaps even more than) the beginner. He draws primarily upon the Jesus Prayer as his method, with nods to Centering Prayer as an alternative approach. He includes passages from some of the greatest writers on (and practitioners of) contemplative prayer in the Western Church and the Estern Orthodox tradition which may be less familiar to readers but has much to offer us. This book has real depth, and is obviously written by someone who knows the silent land well himself. It is a treasure!

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful insights for the contemplative path, August 4, 2006

By 

Barbara B. Hemphill (Kingwood, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation (Hardcover)

In this book Laird explains passages on the contemplative journey in ways that were new to me. (Perhaps I should admit here that I didn't even know there were identifiable stages of silence.) He names the doorway into each stage, the treasure one finds there, and what is entailed in opening the door - the riddle that must be solved before entering. As a student and practitioner of centering prayer for 15 years, I found these insights fascinating as well as wonderfully presented. But Laird doesn't just leave us with theories; he offers practical applications of his lessons. Here are real people struggling with real difficulties, practicing contemplative methods, solving the riddles, moving through the stages, gaining new freedom and joy. Laird offers not only mysteries and metaphors, but tools and tips! I would recommend this book to anyone on the contemplative journey.

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic Presentation of Contemplative Prayer Practice, January 23, 2007

By 

Sharon K. Cooper (Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation (Hardcover)

Martin Laird gives an authentic presentation of Contemplative Prayer Practice within the Christian tradition. This presentation portrays a deep openness of heart and mind from the inside out. Laird offers a wealth of knowledge related to Christian contemplative practice. His own interiority and experience shines throughout the book. The book offers the rich insights of other contemplative traditions (Eastern) but it is clearly rooted in the heart of the vast landscape of the Christian contemplative lineage where the divine/human relationship soaks in silence, nature, and Word. The mingling together of these contemplative nuances form a language of ancient wisdom that can be understood and accessible today. Each chapter in Laird's book has an invitational and creative title which often is not found in books of this nature: 1) Parting the Veil: The Illusion of Separation from God, 2) The Wild Hawk of the Mind, 3) The Body's Call to Prayer, 4) The Three Doorways of the Present Moment; the Way of the Prayer Word, 5) The Riddles of Distration, 6) From Victim to Witness: Practicing with Affliction, 7) The Liturgy of Our Wounds, and his Epilogue: Who Am I? A Tale of Monastic Failure. The book brings to life the teachings of the desert abbas and ammas. Laird quotes Meister Eckhart on p. 23 of the book: "Meister Eckhart says, "The noblest entertainment in this life is to be silent and let God work and speak within." Many would probably disagree with that statement in today's world. The book is for the beginner, the intermediate, and advanced practitioners alike. *Into the Silent Land* takes the reader into the landscape of the Psalmist's heart: "Let us live every moment in "applying our hearts to wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)