Meditation in the Christian Tradition

On this part of the website you will find information about two of the main schools of meditation in the Christian tradition:

Christian Meditation: a concentrative method using a mantra, guided by the teachings of the late Benedictine monk John Main, whose life and work inspired the formation of the World Community for Christian Meditation, an international network currently directed by Laurence Freeman.

Centering Prayer: a surrender practice, based on the teachings of Thomas Keating, a Cistercian monk based in Massachusetts, supported by an international network of groups and programmes called Contemplative Outreach.

Under each of these sub-sections is an outline of the teaching, a list of resources including website links, and details of events and groups in Norwich.

We have uploaded a joint statement from the respective leaders of these two communities - Unity in Contemplation. This articulates both their shared purpose and heritage and the subtle differences in their approach.

There are also two contemplative prayer groups that meet in Norwich in the spirit of the medieval mystic Julian of Norwich, as part of the international Julian Meetings network. For more about Julian, her rich spiritual heritage and the Julian Shrine in Norwich, visit the Friends of Julian of Norwich website.

We have offered some reflections about the value of Meditating in Community and a section on The Christian Contemplative Tradition which gives an overview of the historical context in which the Christian meditation movement has evolved.

Finally, the section Resources for Contemplative Living gives website links for other organisations doing pioneering work in the field of contemplative prayer and gospel living.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this section of the website please contact:

Liz Day
liz@anniemoxham.wanadoo.co.uk

Liz Day, 21/05/2008