Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God

by James Finley

Book Overview

Christian Meditation introduces an ancient practice to a contemporary audience. James Finley, a well-known spiritual counselor and speaker, presents the fundamentals of both understanding and practicing Christian meditation.A former monk and student of Thomas Merton, Finley teaches readers to expand (or begin) their meditation practices in concert with their faith and guides them to discover that divine moments of awakened consciousness can lead to...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060591927
• ISBN13: 9780060591922
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Descriptive beyond Christian Experience

Finley does a wonderous job of explaining the silence and its relationship to God or a God. His take on the comtemplative path is thoroughly explained in surprising detail. My leanings are Buddhist, but this is the best and most detailed explaination of the meditative process that I have ever heard. For those new to meditation as well as very experienced ones of all faiths.

Finley's book reads like meditation, if a proper meditation had words.

"Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God: a guide to contemplation" by James Finley HarperCollins, San Francisco, 2005 Finley is a former Trappist monk who studied with Thomas Merton. He is now married and is a practicing psychotherapist. His description of the meditative process is a meditation in itself: "We glimpse, however obscurely, that God is the infinity of the perpetually unfolding newness of the present moment in which our lives unfold." (p. 59) "We sit, quietly attentive and receptive to our breathing, until, by God's grace, our awareness of this breath awakens to the presence of God that wholly transcends this breath." (p. 46) It's one of the few of the many books I've read on meditation that speaks to me, the reader, as though Finley knows that although "we are powerless to produce by our efforts that union with God that alone fulfills our hearts... we can ... freely will to make ourselves as vulnerable and receptive as possible to the influx of grace." (p. 57)

For the ongoing spiritual journey....

There is so much in this hardback with the attractive dustcover that it is difficult to know where to start. The author, James Finley, says what his book is about from his perspective as the writer, and what could be better: "...I am sharing with you what I have learned thus far in my ongoing spiritual journey." For people who see their life as a spiritual journey, even a pilgrimage or travel through the desert, James Finley has written an articulate if somewhat detailed text on being with and learning to seek God in ones life. I had read somewhere in a book about the poor by the Jesuit Gary Smith that Christ is seeking us, and that we are "followed" by Christ. This book purports that one lives and prays a realized oneness with God, preparing oneself through contemplation as one discipline. "When engaged in contemplation, we rest in God resting in us. We are at home in God at home in us." The role is basically receptive. The person who seeks God in this way, so the book instructs, and the book is a kind of instruction by one who has knowledge to share, and a heart with love to teach, will have a "life-transforming realization of oneness with God." In some way, by manner of practice, and the nature of contemplation. Some of his phrases are moving, and give reason to think about with a reverent consideration that looks towards divine destinations. He does this in the Christian way. One can "...quietly begin to illumine the most intimate of moments." In this conversion of life and the heart, which I have practiced and in practicing found this book useful as a contemplative seeking and traveling the way, even when not knowing the path but being there anyway, I found the practice of meditation is a starting point in the interior journey. This isn't a gibberish of the supernatural; the practice can extend to quiet moments of the sunset, or taking coffee in the morning. He suggests the day by day time of "Here I am, Lord." There is a lot of ground and stuff and thoughts and ways discussed in this 286 page book by the former Trappist Monk who studied with Thomas Merton. Ones heart can be combined or moved in a way that connects it with similar experiences of past and passing centuries. Here is one lesson that is gained through Christian meditation: "...meditation embodies a desire for God that brings us back full circle to a more clear-minded, Christlike compassion for others and our selves." I am going to tell you something that took the author a while to say in the section on "A Ladder to Heaven." When the Lord or we self disclose our love to another we seek to have our heart met and hearing that love come back to us. God does this with us in contemplation and meditation. There is this God of love which is the Christian love, and it is a powerful, drawing, and fulfilling force. There are risks to the contemplative practice in the Christian tradition, outlined, explained, and taught in this book by HarperSan Francisco. "Dealing with the dying

Poetic and inspiring

This is a great resource for anyone on the spiritual path. I get to hear Dr. Finley speak regularly so I was familiar with his work before reading the book. In this book, as in person, his presentations are enriching, poetic, and inspiring! I also recommend his CD set "Christian Meditation."

Experiencing God in Silence

The silent path is difficult to describe with words. Finley does it well. If you have been walking the silent path of the Buddha in part because there seems to be more assistance available you may want to read this book. It was written by one who has rediscovered "Lost Christianity", and is not only living it but can describe it well. If you are of a Christian tradition and have considered meditation as a pracitce to deepen your faith you are not likely to find a better book to begin with than this one.