Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer is a popular method of meditation used by some Christians, placing a strong emphasis on interior silence. The modern Centering Prayer movement in Christianity can be traced to several books published by three Trappist monks of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts in the 1970s: Fr. William Meninger, Fr. M. Basil Pennington and Abbot Thomas Keating. The name was taken from Thomas Merton's description of contemplative prayer (a much older and more traditional practice) as prayer that is "centered entirely on the presence of God.". In his book Contemplative Prayer, Merton writes "“Monastic prayer begins not so much with “considerations” as with a “return to the heart,” finding one’s deepest center, awakening the profound depths of our being”.

The creators of the Centering Prayer movement trace its roots to the contemplative prayer of the Desert Fathers of early Christian monasticism, to the Lectio Divina tradition of Benedictine monasticism, and to works like The Cloud of Unknowing and the writings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Advocates of Centering Prayer say it does not replace other prayer but encourages silence and deeper connection to God. Also advocates of Centering Prayer say it helps people be more present and open to God. Father Thomas Keating has promoted both Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer.

Some people, including former Pope Benedict, find Centering Prayer controversial. These authors argue that Centering Prayer contradicts the teachings of the Carmelite saints. They also argue that Centering Prayer is a distortion of the teachings of the Desert Fathers and The Cloud of Unknowing, and nearly the opposite in method to Lectio Divina. Furthermore, they claim that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) cautioned against prayer forms like this in Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation.

...
Wikipedia