The Way of the Prisoner: Breaking the Chains of Self Through Centering Prayer and Centering Practice [Kindle Edition]

Jens Soering (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Sane, balanced, seasoned by hard-earned wisdom and faith, it will surely become a classic on contemplative prayer. -- N. Gordon Cosby, The Church of the Saviour, Washington, D.C.

Product Description

"His experiences ... reveal some amazing ways that God’s Spirit can break through the fear, violence, and despair of prison life. Along with these benefits, you will be exposed to the electrifying story of a very articulate, impassioned person writing from his prison cell, as other Christian spiritual writers beginning with St. Paul have done through the centuries." (Tilden Edwards, from the foreword)

In this remarkable book, Jens Söring, a convict serving two life sentences in a Virginia prison, uses Centering Prayer and Centering Practice to survive the daily misery of prison life—and shows how we can all transform our crosses, our prisons (literal or metaphorical), into the means of our salvation. It is both a learned work on contemplative prayer and a moving true story of personal redemption that shocks and inspires.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2200 KB
• Publisher: Lantern Books (October 31, 2003)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0031ESIDI
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,546 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Jens Soering is a German citizen and Centering Prayer practitioner who has been incarcerated since 1986. His case has been featured on Court TV and A&E's City Confidential. His work has been featured in Christianity Today, The Christian Century, Sojourners, America, National Catholic Reporter, and The American Conservative. His book The Convict Christ: What the Gospel Says about Criminal Justice was the first place winner of the Catholic Press Association's 2007 awards.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a deeply spiritual book, February 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Way of the Prisoner: Breaking the Chains of Self Through Centering Prayer and Centering Practice (Paperback)

"The Way of the Prisoner" is the perfect book for someone who would like to learn the background of Centering Prayer in the early church, followed by step-by-step instructions on how to practice it, all explained in very clear, simple language. The book is unique because the author, Jens Soering, is serving two life sentences in a Virginia prison, and he briefly describes his own case in order to show the kind of redemption he has found through Centering Prayer. If you have ever thought that you would like to try, or read more about, serious meditating, this book is a wonderful place to begin. The author asks you to commit to two 20-minute sessions a day. As you practice week after week, you begin to see that the self "really does not consist of very much at all. The same old tired hungers, an amazingly small assortment of pet peeves and pleasures, and a handful of thought loops repeating themselves over and over." This book has the power to change your prayer life and touch your heart.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful read, October 29, 2007

By 

Gayle Lopez (Birmingham, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Way of the Prisoner: Breaking the Chains of Self Through Centering Prayer and Centering Practice (Paperback)

This is a moving account of the author's time in prison, as well as a personal history of his journey thru centering prayer. Having practiced centering prayer only for a relatively short period of time, I found this book answered many questions I had concerning the practice. It also provides a roadmap for the journey ahead: Soering sees centering prayer as a necessary prerequisite for what he calls contemplation, which is direct communing with the "I AM".

I recommend this book along with the must-have Fr. Keating, etc. books, as it sheds a personal light on the practice of centering prayer; as the author stresses repeatedly, we are all prisoners of one form or another.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Transforming, July 8, 2008

By 

Read Right - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Way of the Prisoner: Breaking the Chains of Self Through Centering Prayer and Centering Practice (Paperback)

I have practiced centering prayer for several years. I don't think the book is structured for a beginner, but it is well written and a good personal testimony of the results of prayer and self-denial under the difficult conditions of prison. I would recommend it for someone who is practicing centering prayer.