Part 1: Father Thomas Keating interviewed by the Garrison Institute, Oct. 2008

Father Thomas Keating is the animator of Centering Prayer and of Contemplative Outreach. A Trappist monk for 65 years, he is a retired abbot, author of a dozen
books and a major voice in inter-religious dialogue. In the 1970s, he was one of three Trappist monks who studied ancient Christian contemplative practices which were largely lost after the Reformation, and distilled them into a simple, accessible method known as Centering Prayer. He is interviewed by Jonathan F.P. Rose, Chairman of the Garrison Institute.

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• Garrison
• Institute
• Father
• Thomas
• Keating
• Centering
• Prayer
• Contemplative
• Practice
• Meditation

[EndureTemptation]

Too much blabbing.

There should be strict rules as to what about can you talk when talking about God. You know, when you use too much words people start to build system from what they hear from you. That system is called metaphysics. Theory should not be touched. People build theories just because they are lazy and don't want to engage with reality. Theories using logical consistency give only illusion of understanding, while reality itself is ignored.

So talk must be about practical aspects.

[mariap1919]

I had the great blessing to be at this meeting....... the hardest thing was to see the Buddha in the sanctuary where the altar once was..... BE AWAKE!!! ;-)

Keating is such a blessing!!!

[gocmojoe]

As always, spot on.

[jhgosnell]

@aklamotte most Christians, typically more traditional ones or even extreme ones, use pagan to mean..."it's not Christian"...or not my idea of Christian. But, I think you are right. The religions prior to the idea of the one God, were more pantheistic type it seems. Maybe that's "pagan." Still, pagan is one kind of spirituality.

[aklamotte]

Center of the soul. Soul's center. Big difference.

[aklamotte]

Center of the soul is God. God's center is the soul. Those who love differences find differences.

[stjoseph01]

Actually St. John said, "The soul's center is God" - the two have very different meanings - one makes the human soul god, the other makes God the focus of the soul.

[moseva]

Hi everyone, I am not a christian, but this man is wonderful, he has a huge soul and is crearly an outstanding thinker ( or feeler!!).

God bless him, I am trained in a certain way of meditating that is quite similar to his.

Love, light and peace

[paranormalvl]

I am recently homeless by choice. I walked away from a career that would have lead to making over 200,000 and honestly my wisdom in life is worth far more than a paycheck, far more than these materials of this world. I find more faith, happiness, and completion with each passing day of losing myself. Losing touch with life as we assume it to be. My tunnel is now clear. I pray that everyone finds a moment of peace with each passing day. Even a moment of peace is transforming. God Bless

[aklamotte]

I feel sorry for all those critiques who call Centering Prayer 'Pagan.' Pagan simply means, 'in the woods, in nature.' Yes, this prayer is returning to our nature, our source, our center. 'The center of the soul is God.' (St John of the Cross)