Centering Prayer is a type of Christian meditation which can add depth to all types of prayer, and emphasises a quiet, resting and receptive openness to God. Since its emergence about forty years ago, it has been variously criticised or misunderstood, and this book aims to build a healing bridge of mutual respect and understanding. The book is written for anyone interested in Centering Prayer, to find out more about this dynamic way of having a relationship with God, and also as an invitation to its critics, to reconsider the approach in a spirit of reconciliation.

Human spirituality can grow and evolve over our lifetime, and this insightful book looks closely at the process of spiritual evolution. The author asserts that, through the love of Christ, human consciousness can evolve into divine consciousness. He considers various spiritual practices, including Centering Prayer, Welcoming Prayer, forgiveness prayer and creative self-expression, which can help unload the 'unconscious', and aid spiritual growth.

This far-ranging book presents God, the Ultimate Mystery of non-created Reality, as Christ-the One Who loves us. Spirituality beyond language and in general; the inner mystical meaning of the Cross of Christ; differing Christian windows found in the stages of evolving consciousness identified by Integral Theory; and Centering Prayer's close relationship to all of this are core themes in this work. An important insight of Integral Theory reveals that when people are unaware of the stages of evolving consciousness, they tend to believe that the perspectives of their own stage(s) are the only true or realistic views-which is actually untrue and leads to needless confusion, conflict and misunderstandings among individuals in different stages of evolving consciousness. Additionally: prayer; the allegorical sense of Scripture; Lectio Divina; grades of evolving love; duality?/?non-duality; and apophatic theology are also major topics discussed. The gift of non-conceptual contemplation, into which Centering Prayer leads us, is shown to be a key to Christian unity and harmony among all religious and spiritual traditions seeking to serve the One Who loves us. Non-conceptual Centering Prayer-as a movement into simplicity and silence-is readily available to people seeking a deeper spirituality in all denominations and in all stages of evolving consciousness.

This unique book draws on "the secret wisdom of Israel" (Qabalistic Tree of Life) to describe the soul's inner purification, healing and rebirth in Christ rooted deep in the mysterious process and inner silence of non-conceptual contemplative prayer. "Prayer in secret" (Matt. 6:6) is prayer in the unconscious. Using the Tree of Life as a map of universal creation and the individual soul (Macrocosm and microcosm), Centering Prayer and Rebirth in Christ offers a detailed and revealing look into the hidden workings of the Spirit in the soul's inner depths. When read slowly and thoughtfully, this book elevates the mind, offering what is, for most of us, a new vision of our evolving life in Christ and Christ in us. The essence of Centering Prayer is consenting to God's presence and action in us and in our life. The work of the Spirit in us aims to bring us from the limitations and disappointments of our false self (over-identification with the separate-self sense of ego and its ill-conceived desires) into the fulfillment of our true self as a spiritual being. As the false self's obstacles are removed by the divine action, which needs our willing consent and cooperation, our growing freedom to consent becomes cause for increasing peace and joy in the soul. This is a gift of divine love that brings us step by step into the fullness of our life in Christ-which is a continuing rebirth into the limitless light, life, and love of the divine consciousness. The intended purpose of Centering Prayer's conceptual background is to support the actual practice of non-conceptual contemplative prayer and the wondrous process of inner spiritual unfolding that Centering Prayer facilitates.