The Heart of Centering Prayer

Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice

By: Cynthia Bourgeault

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Centering prayer is the path to a wonderful and radical new way of seeing the world. It is not, as is sometimes thought, simply an act of devotional piety, nor is it a Christianized form of other meditation methods. Cynthia Bourgeault here cuts through the misconceptions to show that centering prayer is in fact a pioneering development within the Christian contemplative tradition. She provides a practical, complete course in the practice and then goes deeper to analyze what actually happens in centering prayer: the mind effectively switches to a new operating system that makes possible the perception of nonduality. With this understanding in place, she then takes us on a journey through one of the sources of the practice, the Christian contemplative classic The Cloud of Unknowing, revealing it to be among the earliest Christian explorations of the phenomenology of consciousness.

Cynthia Bourgeault's illumination of the centering prayer path provides compelling evidence of how important the practice has become in the half century since it first arose among American Trappist monks and of its maturation and refinement over the ensuing years of sincere study and practice. It will resonate with beginners on the centering prayer path as well as with seasoned practitioners.

Cover image: Mark Tomalty / Masterfile.

©2016 Cynthia Bourgeault (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

A gift for the centering prayer movement

This is a bold, provocative and challenging study by someone who obviously has genuine experience as well as brilliant insight. This book is a real gift to the centering prayer movement, which is currently at a critical crossroad. I very much appreciate the author's exploration of the Cloud of Unknowing, which I have struggled with for years. More of that, please. I'd like for her to write a study of the whole book. I was not happy with the reader, whom I found detached from the material, a little smug, and too rushed for this deep material. I regret that Cynthia didn't elect to read it herself.

Too much research, too little practice

What disappointed you about The Heart of Centering Prayer?

The book sounds like someone reading a doctoral thesis in a hurry. The concepts presented are referred to as if they were part of a physics or philosophy lecture, making them dry and uninteresting.

Has The Heart of Centering Prayer turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, just turned me off from this author.

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator should slow down and use inflection at the right location. Even slowing the speed down to .85 it sounds fast. Slowing the speed more than that makes it sound like they're on drugs.

Any additional comments?

Read Teresa of Avila or Brother Lawrence, throw this book away.

Listen to last chapter first.

I have gone through this book twice and find that the run-on writing and narrative along with the need for frequent use of a dictionary is not worth the read. I found myself wanting the narrator to take a breath!
Her story may be very high minded and sincere but this is written for only a few elite who are already familiar with her terminology.
The “cloud of unknowing “ and the works of Father Keating are more useful and more accessible.

Not a fan. Complicated my quiet prayer time

Come to me all ye who are weary and I will give you rest. This book made coming to Jesus in quiet contemplation complicated and wearisome.

Reading is to fast.

One should slow the dictation down to x.75 speed.
The reader is speaking at light speed speech.

Very Informative and Clarifying

The depth and breadth of the Christian meditative tradition were presented very well. I now have a much clearer understanding of the Centering Prayer and of the kenotic intention which is its basis. As a three decade Buddhist practitioner who has renewed interest in the depth teachings of Christian Mystics, particularly Meister Eckhart, this book has been very helpful.
My fear that centering prayer was just a watered down mantra practice without connection to the deeply mystical teachings of Christianity has been put to rest. Cynthia’s teachings on the Cloud of Unknowing and how it informs centering prayer was fascinating.
Overall I really enjoyed the book, which I both read on kindle and listened to on audible. My only negative comment was that I found the audible narration slightly off putting. There was a strange two phase or two tone to the narrator’s voice that at times was very nice to listen to and others quite metallic sounding and harsh. Almost like two people were trading off narration, even within a sentence. Hate to complain though as I still very much enjoyed both formats and will reread and re-listen to this book again in the future.

Excellent Book! Read Too Rapidly.

Excellent book! I recommend reading it rather than listening to this recording. The recorded reading is so rapid that the beautiful concepts are presented like a story moving quickly from start to finish. A slower, more thoughtful presentation would allow the listener to absorb and grasp the beauty and depth presented with the inner ear.

I will order the hard copy.

Narration is difficult to listen to

I could not get past the first chapter because the narration was too fast and harsh sounding especially for a book called the heart of centering prayer

Being present in the Heart of it all

She reconnected me to the 12th Cent book The Cloud of Unknowing What a Gift

Best spiritual book in 32 years

I have been on a spiritual quest for 32 years and this is the best contemplative book I have read. Cynthia Bourgeault has beautifully summarized so many STEs (spiritually transformative experiences) and this has helped me to better ‘see the terrain I have already traveled through’ and it has also given me an overwhelming sense of ‘quenched thirst’ while I long for much more of the same ‘to drink’.

The first part of the book is a good introduction to contemplation in the “centering prayer” tradition. So, this book is both for an introduction to contemplation and also for the advanced, who has been given the divine gift of contemplation many times. I’ve listened twice to this book and will listen several more times as I follow along in the physical book.

Doyouwanttolistentosomeonereadaveryinterestingbutcomplexsubjecttofastforyoutookeepup,nevermindunderstandit.

Do you want to listen to someone read a very interesting but complex subject too fast for you to keep up, never mind understand it? Then this narrator is for you. She is speed reading and I cannot get to grips with the writers ideas or instruction. However, I find the subject interesting and will just have to keep on pausing and going back.

File corrupted Donald duck speaking

This file is corrupted, every 30 to 40 seconds you get speeded up voice - a Donald duck. Needs re-recording and withdrawn in spite of my comments and others nothing is being done about it

Truly Awful Narration

I love Cynthia’s books and her ‘soft’ American accent but didn’t check who was narrating this before buying. Gabra Zackman’s nasal high pitched American whine is un-listenable to and made worse by the poor production that emphasises her sibilance and abruptly clips the ends of her words making her sound robotic. They have also speeded her up. Nothing about this narration fits the content of the book and would be more suited to a high octane motivational sales pitch than a book on the beautiful mystical approach of Heart Centering Prayer. Wish I hadn’t wasted my money. I advise you to buy the book instead.

review

This book is quite difficult for me to understand.
Maybe I choose a book that is too advanced for my spiritual progress.