Contemplative
Spirituality: A belief system that
uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of
consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the
occult but is often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise
of contemplative spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and
panentheistic (God is in all).
How
did this non-biblical practice enter the evangelical
church? |
In
the mid-seventies three monks wanted to bring contemplative
prayer to Christianity. This is how they did it.»
"They
invited to the abbey ecumenically oriented Catholic theologians,
an Eastern Zen master, Joshu Roshi Sasaki, who offered week
long retreats on Buddhist meditation, and a former Trappist,
Paul Marechal, who taught transcendental meditation. The interaction
between these Christian monks and practitioners of Eastern meditation
helped distill the practice of Christian contemplative prayer
into a form that could be easily practiced by a diverse array
of "non-monastic" believers: priests, nuns, brothers and lay
men and women." by Joseph G. Sandman (America Magazine
9/9/00)
For
the whole story, click here.
Also
see a meeting
that took place in 1977.
The
Gethsemani Encounter 1996
The Gethsemani Encounter II (2002)
Unity?
... At What Cost?
In Richard
Foster's Streams of Living Water, he says the following
with regard to his vision for "a great gathering of the
people of God:" "I
see a Catholic monk from the hills of Kentucky standing alongside
a Baptist evangelist ... I see a people."
The "hills of Kentucky" is the Gethsemane Abbey.
Buddhism:
Doorway to Contemplative Spirituality
The
Gethsemani Encounter |
In
July of 1996 Buddhist and Christian leaders, teachers
and practitioners met at the Abbey of Gethsemani in
the Kentucky Hills to participate in dialogue on the
spiritual life. The Gethsemani Encounter included
dialogue from Christians and Buddhists attending.
The Dahli Lama wrote a book about this encounter called Spiritual Advice for Buddhists and Christians.
|
|
