Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel (Paperback)

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First published in 1986 and in print--and immensely popular--ever since, Open Mind, Open Heart, by the Trappist Monk Thomas Keating, remains one of the best introductions to a specifically Christian form of meditation. Father Keating gives the reader an overview of what contemplative prayer both is and isn't; he discusses the history of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition and then explores step by step the process of Centering Prayer, briefly exploring its origins in the ancient church and then demonstrating its use as "a sign of one's intention" to surrender to God. Each chapter concludes with questions and answers that provide useful information in an informal context. Here in particular we get a sense of Keating's clarity--and his sense of humor. For example, in response to a question about the sudden experience of happiness in prayer, Keating responds, "You should not take prayer too seriously. There is something playful about God. You only have to look at a penguin ... to realize that He likes to play little jokes on creatures." --Doug Thorpe

Product Description

Father Keating gives an overview of the history of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition, and guidance in centring prayer. Special attention is paid to the role of the Sacred Word, Christian growth and transformation and active prayer, and the contemplative dimension of the Gospel.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826406963
• ISBN-13: 978-0826406965
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #423,985 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

101 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Journey Back Into the True Heart of Christianity, January 21, 2003

By	Christopher Forbes "weirdears" (Brooklyn,, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have a checkered spiritual past. Like many people of my generation, I have always felt that modern life was going in the wrong direction, and that the traditional answers we were getting from the government and institutionalized religion just weren't quenching the spiritual drought in the contemporary world. So I went east, to Buddhism, the Sufis, Hinduism, looking for something that might help me fill the void I felt. Then I stumbled upon the Centering Prayer movement. Little did I know that the Christian tradition that I grew up in, would hold the secret to what I was looking for.

Centering Prayer is based squarely in the Christian tradition. It is based on forms of prayer that have roots in the earliest Christian monesteries of the 4th century. There are even tantalizing glimpses of it in the writings of St. Paul and even the Gospels, though not spelled out in so many words (which is probably what gives literalists conniptions.) It existed in the Benedictine monasteries of medieval Europe, in the Cloud of Unknowing, the 14th century manual of prayer, and in the writings of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. It is not, I repeat, NOT a "new age" spirituality, unless one thinks that all of Christian Spirituality is new age (and the case could be made that it is.) Centering Prayer is a simple method of prayer that is designed to help us consent to the presence and action of God in our lives. Through quite simple guildelines and a few adjustments of attitudes, Centering Prayer helps us to let go of our own ego and expectations and just "wait upon the Lord". For me, it has been key to reawakening my Christian faith.

Having been a practicing Buddhist for many years, I can say that readers who equate Centering Prayer with Buddhist practice are mistaken. Without denigrating Buddhist practice, which I learned much from and which I still admire, there is a vast difference between Vipassana and Centering Prayer and that difference is the presence of a personal God. Perhaps some people don't need that personal connection, but I know that it has made a huge difference for me in my prayer life. That, and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, who prays in us rather than we ourselves doing the praying. This doctrine, which can seem so theological at surface, in fact helps me to take my own ego out of the practice. "I" don't pray, but the Holy Spirit prays through me. It's really quite a difference.

Perhaps the problem that some on this page have, is that Cenetering Prayer strikes at the literal certainty that many look for in regards spirituality, particularly Christian spirituality. (All religions have their fundementalists, even the Buddhists. But ours are most vociferous in this culture.) The more I live this teaching, the less I think I know about God, and yet paradoxically the closer I feel to God. It is a personal living out of one of the central mysteries of the faith, that God is both separate of us and imminent within us. It's easy to believe that God is completely divorced from creation (traditional Protestant theology). It's also easy to believe that God is creation (pantheism). But to believe that God is both at the same time requires a leap that logic, literalism and all other right brained operations just can't make. Centering Prayer makes that leap. It allows me to live, centered (sometimes) in the uncertainty of modern life, and connected to God in a real way. This book has changed my life. And it can change yours as well if you are open to it.

71 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Guide for Contemplative Prayer, May 31, 2000

By	Steven K. Szmutko (EWING, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The concepts of "centering prayer" and "contemplative prayer" are difficult for many of us who are used to activity and busy-ness in our daily lives. Thomas Keating, a Cistercian, outlines the traditions and gives a practical (if that is possible) guide to the benefits and the methods of integrating this into our daily lives.

Following a brief discussion of the history of this type of prayer, the author lucidly explains the nature of contemplative prayer and concludes with an understanding of the contemplative nature of the Gospels. Allowing oneself to free the mind of distractions and "rest in God's presence" is a difficult and ongoing process, however Keating offers words of encouragement and understanding so that we realize that this type of prayer, like all types of prayer is not an end in itself, but is a journey.

As one attempts to develop a deeper more significant relationship with God, this book is an invaluable resource. It is worth reading and referring to repeatedly as a guide in prayer, but also in reading Scripture.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical Inspiraton, December 11, 1999

By A Customer

I have been reading books on contemplation and attempting the practice for some time now--always with disappointing results. Father Keating's book is the most practical book on the subject I have ever encountered. Not only does he lead the reader through the process step by step, his encouraging words have cast an entirely new light on the "failures" of my own practice. Thanks to Father Keating, I have found the courage to persevere.