Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God

James Finley

Harper Collins, 2004 - Religion - 290 pages

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 a deeper connection with Christ. He explains how meditation can enrich our daily lives by connecting us not only with the present moment, but also with the eternal now that is beyond time.

Finley provides simple, helpful instructions on the practicalities so essential to true meditation -- focusing one's attention, sitting, breathing, orienting one's eyes, walking, and main taining a compassionate, forgiving attitude. Above all, he makes clear that the aim of meditation is to allow us to experience divine contemplation, the presence of God.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - allenkeith - LibraryThing

This is an interesting book and I did learn from it some things about meditation – what it is like and the how of it. But there are two big reservations that I have about it: First, it tends to focus ...

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

User Review  - Not Available - Book Verdict

Finley, a former Trappist monk and student of Thomas Merton, has written a very fine study of the practice of Christian meditation, considering--among many other matters--the importance of simple ...

About the author

James Finley is a former Trappist monk who studied closely with Thomas Merton. He is the author of Thomas Merton’s Palace of Nowhere. He is now a renowned psychological and spiritual counselor in Santa Monica, CA, who leads retreats and workshops on a regular basis throughout North America.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God
• Author: James Finley
• Publisher: Harper Collins, 2004
• ISBN: 0060591927, 9780060591922
• Length: 290 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Christianity / General; Religion / Meditations; Religion / Prayer