Open Mind, Open Heart 20th Anniversary Edition

by Thomas Keating

Thomas Keating was a Cistercian monk who founded the worldwide 'Contemplative Outreach', teaching people the art of meditation.

This is the 20th anniversary edition of Continuum's best-selling spiritual classic, which has sold over half a million in the English language and has appeared in 10 foreign-language editions.

This book is designed to initiate the reader into a deep, living relationship with God. Written by an acknowledged spiritual master, the book moves beyond "discursive meditation and particular acts to the intuitive level of contemplation."

Keating gives an overview of the history of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition, and step-by-step guidance in the method of centering prayer. Special attention is paid to the role of the Sacred Word, Christian growth and transformation, and active prayer.

The book ends with an explicit treatment of the contemplative dimension of the gospel. Open Mind, Open Heart will take readers into a world where God can do anything, into a realm of the greatest adventure – “Where one is open to the Infinite and hence to infinite possibilities."

This is the 20th anniversary edition of Continuum's bestselling spiritual classic, which has sold over half a million in the English language and has appeared in 10 foreign-language editions (Croatian, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesia, Italian, Korean, Polish, and Portuguese). The new edition consists of a substantial new preface, an expanded glossary, some changes in terminology, and a reordering of several chapters.

Genres: Spirituality, Christianity, Religion, Mysticism, Prayer

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 19, 2023

About the author

Keating entered the Cistercian Order in Valley Falls, Rhode Island in January, 1944. He was appointed Superior of St. Benedict's Monastery, Snowmass, Colorado in 1958, and was elected abbot of St. Joseph's Abbey, Spencer, Massachusetts in 1961. He returned to Snowmass after retiring as abbot of Spencer in 1981, where he established a program of ten-day intensive retreats in the practice of Centering Prayer, a contemporary form of the Christian contemplative tradition.

He is one of three architects of Centering Prayer, a contemporary method of contemplative prayer, that emerged from St. Joseph's Abbey in 1975. Frs. William Menninger and Basil Pennington, also Cistercian monks, were the other architects.
n 1984, Fr. Thomas Keating along with Gustave Reininger and Edward Bednar, co-founded Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., an international, ecumenical spiritual network that teaches the practice of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, a method of prayer drawn from the Christian contemplative tradition. Contemplative Outreach provides a support system for those on the contemplative path through a wide variety of resources, workshops, and retreats.
Fr. Keating currently lives at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado.

Reviews

[Karen JH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great starting book for anyone interested in centering prayer. It’s a relatively simple concept focussing on deepening one’s relationship with God and requiring 2, 20 minute silent meditations per day. It’s simple but transformative.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of the books by Thomas Keating, a Cistercian monk in the US, who was very active in the Centering Prayer movement in the 70s and onwards. Open Mind Open Hearts is a classic in the genre and offers an introduction to contemplative prayer in general and to Centering Prayer in particular. Keating is erudite, but gentle in his approach. It isn't especially an easy read, but it is a good one, especially for those interested in prayer.

One of the things that I like about this book is that Keating keeps the instruction relatively short and ends each chapter with a series of questions which really illuminate the topic. Given that we are talking about prayer, which is a notoriously difficult topic to engage in because of the danger of making all of it seem abstract and unreachable, the question and answer style really helps with explaining the application of the Centering Prayer that Keating is most focused on.

For those interested in contemplative prayer, especially in its Christian form, this book is an essential read. And it well worth the effort.

[Peter Jalilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular read on contemplative prayer

This work describes centering prayer, the art and practice of restful silence in one’s prayer time with God. Insightful, thoughtful, inspirational and well written.

[Leif Harboe]

Sentrerende bønn knyttes til Thomas Keating eller omvendt. Jeg leste den i forbindelse med at Heidi og jeg har startet opp med sentrerende bønn her på Bryne. Boka virker litt uorganisert med en del gjentakelser.

[Jack Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Open Heart Open Mind

This book is the ultimate resource for beginners or even those experienced in the practice of Centering Prayer. Highly recommended!

[Andrej Kamenský · Rating 5 out of 5]

Na druhý krát ešte lepšie

[Simone Dorcas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives Information about Contemplative Prayer.
Excellent Overview.

[Kristin Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about the spiritual journey and about centering prayer. Easy to read/understand. Inspiring to me.

[Donna Marlatte · Rating 5 out of 5]

*a ‘how to’ of the meditative act of contemplation in the Christian’Way’.