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 often wrapped
in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality
is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all). Common
terms used for this movement are "spiritual formation," "the
silence," "the stillness," "ancient-wisdom,"
"spiritual disciplines," and many others.
Spiritual Formation: A movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which contemplative prayer is entering the church. Find spiritual formation being used, and in nearly every case you will find contemplative spirituality. In fact, contemplative spirituality is the heartbeat of the spiritual formation movement. |
In
Ortberg's 2005 book, God is Closer Than You Think,
Ortberg quotes favorably from contemplatives such as Anne Lamott,
Annie Dillard, Gary Thomas (Sacred Pathways), 
"The
Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary
People" by John Ortberg