Off Center
After reading Fr. John Dreher’s critique of centering prayer [“The Danger of Centering Prayer,” November 1997], I had to dig up my retreat notes and books to see if he could possibly have been discussing the same contemplative prayer preparation method I have experienced. After scouring the books of Fr. Thomas Keating, I was unable to locate any of the “bogeyman” dangers identified by Fr. Dreher. Nothing is easier than to build a straw man and then knock it down. I was relieved to discover that Fr. Dreher was obviously referring to some imaginary construct of his own making rather than the prayer method taught by Fr. Keating.
I have spent up to two weeks, eight hours a day, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, engaged in contemplative prayer, utilizing, in part, the centering prayer method. The retreat master was an expert in spiritual warfare, psychology, and contemplative prayer. The centering prayer method assisted me in silencing what St. Teresa of Avila refers to as the “jabbering jester” inside the mind. Thomas Merton uses the term “birds of appetite” to refer to the tendency of the mind to cling to meaningless ideas and impressions rather than remaining open to the possibilities of God. In any case, anyone serious about prayer should have a spiritual director to address the anecdotal problems described by Fr. Dreher, which can occur with any kind of prayer.
Contrary to Fr. Dreher’s erroneous claim, centering prayer is not designed to “bring the practitioner into the center of his own being.” Fr. Keating clearly states that the centering prayer method is not an end, but only “a way to reduce the ordinary obstacles to contemplative prayer, by clearing the mind.” The “mantra” of centering prayer must be a sacred or holy word which allows one to move back to God when thoughts drift off to extraneous matters. In fact, centering prayer is a very disciplined way of preparing for contemplation and far from the mindlessness described by Fr. Dreher.
Readers who spend just a few hours reading any of Fr. Keating’s books will readily see that his teachings do not resemble Fr. Dreher’s description. It is indeed unfortunate that narrow-mindedness and fixation on only some aspects of our rich prayer heritage make it impossible for some people to appreciate new ways of looking at ancient mysteries. Apparently, Fr. Dreher is bitter because he is unable to experience the fullness of contemplative prayer. I do appreciate his concern with satanic attacks on the Church, however, he is way off base in attributing centering prayer to Satan. Moreover, if Fr. Keating’s work is a product of the Holy Spirit, we should be very cautious in making such inaccurate and clumsy criticisms as that made by Fr. Dreher. He owes Fr. Keating an apology.
Richard J. Vattuone
La Jolla, California
Guilty, Guilty, Guilty
I was absolutely flabbergasted to read the article on centering prayer. Sadly, Fr. Dreher is guilty of misrepresenting what centering prayer is in order to come to his predetermined conclusion. For instance, he identifies the “sacred word” with a mantra, which it clearly is not. He argues from the particular to the general. He attempts to denigrate those in the forefront of the movement. He concludes that centering prayer is guilty by association with or similarity to Eastern spirituality. Neither his excellent command of English nor the sheer weight of the length of the article can overcome his lack of knowledge of the facts.
Richard J. Venezia
Islamorada, Florida
Monsters Under the Bed
Fr. Dreher’s article makes some good distinctions between Eastern meditation and Christian prayer. I agree with most of what he says. However, the article has some weaknesses.
First, praying to God “in the center of one’s being” is not necessarily identical with believing that God is the center of one’s being. One could pray to God within oneself while believing that God is distinct from oneself (as we do after Communion).
Second, I have not read much of Basil Pennington, but the little I have read did not sound like a rousing approval of Transcendental Meditation. In fact he critiques certain elements of TM. I also doubt that Pennington would suggest that Christians participate in the Puja ceremony of choose a pagan deity’s name as a mantra.
Third, ditch the story about the ten-year-old seeing monsters. Most kids think they see monsters before they go to bed. It may be nothing more than that. I’ve heard Fundamentalists attribute ordinary childhood experiences to the devil. Let’s not become like that.
Finally, rethink the “hypothesis” that Satan is using meditation to “strip away the physiological and psychological forces” which protect the interior freedom of the human spirit. The Church teaches that the human will always remains free. God gave us free will, and he does not allow Satan to take it away.
James M. Scott
Woodhaven, New York
Mutually Exclusive
The term “centering prayer” is unfortunate. “Centering” is one thing, and “prayer” is another. Centering is an effective exercise in concentration; it trains the mind to remain focused. Centering, as a technique, is a good thing. The problem comes when the benefits that come with centering are attributed to something other than an increased ability to concentrate. It is well known that the valid asceticism of pantheistic theologies is used to lure Christians away from the Church. Transcendental Meditation, taken as a whole, is pantheism and therefore leads us away from the gospel.
Rev. Federico Higuera
Cobden, Illinois
Fr. John Dreher replies: In the spirit of dialogue, especially with those who have had some involvement with centering prayer, let me highlight the crucial issue: Is centering prayer traditional Catholic contemplative prayer or is it New Age in Christian dress—or, at least, heavily influenced by the New Age? Some correspondents make reference to the “method” of centering prayer, so I will begin my response in that area. But first let me say that I believe in contemplative prayer. I practice it every day, and I am reasonably well read in Catholic mystical theology.
1. Method. The guidelines for centering prayer bear similarities to traditional contemplation, enough to package it as Catholic contemplation, but are essentially different.
Guideline 1: “Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.” The “sacred word” has an indispensable place within centering prayer (and in Transcendental Meditation, where it is called a “mantra”) but is not the heart of the Catholic contemplative tradition. Centering prayer uses the “sacred word” as a focusing device for psychic energies. In Catholic contemplation, when I say or think “Jesus,” I intend to relate in a personal way to Jesus. I do not say “love, peace, mercy, silence, stillness, calm, faith, trust,” though centering prayer commends them as “sacred words,” because these qualities or attributes are not persons. The rosary and the Jesus Prayer, though they undeniably have a calming effect, have a personal and relational content that is primary.
Guideline 2: “Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.” What is the nature of “God’s presence and action within”? I reiterate two points I made in the article about the indwelling of God: that it does not reduce his transcendence or make him accessible by any technique or method, and that we are not to go to God deep within but from deep within.
Guideline 3: “When you become aware of thoughts, return ever so gently to the sacred word.” Distractions are a problem not only in contemplative prayer but in daily life as well. A good spiritual director, in Catholic tradition, might offer one of, say, ten different ways to deal with it, depending on the situation. Guideline 3 is a means of deepening the focus of psychic energies and is a hypnotic technique.
What about centering prayer’s fruitfulness in dissipating stress and bringing peace? Many report this outcome. I do not dispute the effect, just the cause. The medieval Flemish mystic Ruysbroeck said there is a form of peace that is purely natural: “When a man is bare and imageless in his senses and empty and idle in his higher powers, he enters into a rest through mere nature . . . without the grace of God. These people err gravely. They immerse themselves in an absolute silence that is purely natural, and a false liberty of spirit is born from this. Having drawn the body in upon itself, they are mute, unmoving. . . . They mistake these types of simplicity for those which are reached through God. In reality they have lost God” (John Ruysbroeck, Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage).
Guideline 4: “At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.” I am not aware of such an instruction in the Catholic contemplative tradition. It is, however, a common place for emerging from a hypnotic state. The examples of St. Teresa, St. Bernadette, the children of Fatima, Padre Pio, and many others who have experienced states of “trance” are not the same, for these are not “acquired contemplation” (accomplished by human effort) but “infused contemplation” in which God has taken the full initiative.
2. New Age? The similarities between centering prayer and Transcendental Meditation are striking. “As an ex-TM mediator,” says Fr. Finbarr Flanagan, O.F.M., “I find it hard to see any differences between centering prayer and Transcendental Meditation.” Frs. Keating, Menninger, and Pennington authored centering prayer at a time when St. Joseph Abbey had received several retreats involving Eastern religions, including Transcendental Meditation. I cited Fr. Pennington’s praise for the Hindu guru and author of Transcendental Meditation. This involvement in eclecticism has continued. Fr. Pennington has not just attended an e.s.t (Erhard Sensitivity Training) session but has served on its board. Frs. Keating and Pennington gave endorsements, appearing on the dust jacket, for Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey in Christian Hermeticism. The tarot is a deck of cards used in fortune telling. Fr. Keating calls the book “the greatest contribution to date toward the rediscovery and renewal of the Christian contemplative tradition.” Fr. Pennington says it is “without doubt the most extraordinary work I have ever read.” Amity House, the publisher, is heavily New Age. The Library of Congress has classified the book under “occult sciences” and “cartomancy.”
Turning the Tables
Seven years ago I was a frustrated Fundamentalist (Baptist and sometimes Assemblies of God) who never felt completely comfortable with what I was supposed to believe, especially regarding some of the trendy “winds of doctrine” that go around in those circles. Yet I also was one of those folks who believed all Catholics were going to hell. I had read and studied the late Keith Green’s “Catholic Chronicles” while in college and had even noted all his Scripture quotations in the back of my Bible, just in case I had the opportunity to witness to a hell-bound Catholic.
After a traumatic event in my life, I was counseled to read St. John of the Cross. When I visited the Daughters of St. Paul book store for the first time, I was drawn to St. Thérèse’s Story of a Soul. After reading this book, I was hooked and convinced that she knew God in a way that no writer I had ever read did. I had to find out about the Church that she flourished in, so I went back to the book store. When I saw Catholicism and Fundamentalism on the shelf, I knew it was for me.
Long story short: I have been in the Catholic Church since 1991 and am still thrilled about being here—not a single doubt, gripe, or complaint! I have been convinced completely. Since coming into the Church, I have had the opportunity on many occasions to share what I have learned with my Fundamentalist friends. Some have opted out of my friendship, believing me to be in error, but most have been pleased to have been “educated” about what the Church really teaches.
Beda Warrick
Marietta, Georgia
What’s With the Cover?
Why would you glorify with visuals of the enemy’s paraphernalia—a half-naked man with Eastern religious symbols (necklace and tattoo) and pictures of false gods—what you’re trying to refute? We hope it was not from any sense of “attracting attention” or of “promoting sales”—the world’s tactics. God’s ways are not the world’s ways. We would have preferred to see a picture of a Catholic at prayer, using, if necessary, some sign or symbol consistent with our faith. We were not drawn to read the article because of the graphics, but because of the title and theme. We appreciate your addressing the issue and now have a clearer understanding of why we’ve resisted all the hype about centering prayer.
Samuel and Mary Leonard
Canal Fulton, Ohio
Editor’s reply: Admittedly, part of the reason for selecting cover art is “attracting attention,” but another part is to suggest in some way what the article is about. An image of a regular Catholic at prayer (say, praying before the tabernacle, rosary in hand) would not have fit the story and would have led some readers to conclude, wrongly, that such a Catholic was engaged in centering prayer.
Ditto
Please tell me where you come up with your magazine covers. I was wondering just who the lady with the earrings and the lightning behind her is supposed to be on the cover of your December 1997 issue. She appears to have a hook attached to the back of her head with perhaps a feather attached to the hook. I was wondering if she is supposed to represent the Blessed Mother. Anyway, some of your magazine covers are wild, but the contents are usually great, and I have purchased this magazine since the first.
M. Pressler
Altoona, Pennsylvania
Editor’s reply: Good question. We aren’t sure either. Take another look at the cover, and you’ll see that the woman is wearing a crown, and the “hooks” at the back of her head support a metal halo. The image of the statue (which is what it is) came from a collection of stock photography. There was no identification given for the person represented. Mary as queen of heaven? Maybe. One of the several queen-saints, such as Elizabeth of Hungary? Maybe (and more likely, since she is wearing a lace head covering). In any case, our art director, Tammi Shore, took that image, added lightening bolts and a hazy background, and came up with a composite that was meant to give a hint of what was in the cover story about Tertullian (whose own image we couldn’t use, since there exists no representation of him that we could find).
Partial Compassion
The November 1997 “Dragnet” carried a small story concerning liberated nun Helen Prejean. Her concern with the plight of murderers is typical of misguided people in the Church today. These cafeteria Catholics speak of compassion when it comes to criminals, but fail to show their concern and compassion when it comes to the victims of these criminals and the families who suffer the loss of loved ones. I understand that Prejean believes that abortion is “a personal choice.” Possibly she thinks that the life of a murderer has more value than that of an innocent, unborn child.
Constantino N. Santos
Atascadero, California
Editor’s reply: It is proper (even necessary) to be compassionate to both victims and their aggressors, comforting the former, encouraging the latter to repent. This can be done without in any way diminishing the seriousness of the crimes. At the same time, we should keep in mind that those lauded by the news media for compassionate behavior quite often are selective in the application of that compassion, as you have noted.
What Happened?
Spreading the good news of salvation was the major activity of the Legion of Mary, founded by Frank Duff in Ireland in 1921. By his dedication to our Catholic faith and under the protection of the Mother of God, the Legion helped to evangelize many parts of the world. That was mainly before Vatican II. Later on, the “spirit of ecumenism” slowed down the Church’s efforts to make converts to the true faith.
Several years ago the American bishops issued an appeal for evangelization. That went mostly ignored. Now we hear calls for ecumenical cooperation with non-Catholic groups. It is evangelization vs. ecumenism.
As an active member of the Legion, I feel that the Church is betraying its mandate of our Lord to go out and preach the gospel to all nations. The ecumenical mandates downgrade the true Church of Christ to the same level with followers of Luther, Calvin, and other non-Catholics. I wonder: Did Scott Hahn, James Akin, Steve Wood, and other converts make a mistake by embracing the Catholic faith?
Peter Pohorsky
Milpitas, California
Editor’s reply: Many ecumenists seem to have forgotten that the long-term goal of ecumenism is unity within the one Church of Christ, which is the Catholic Church. “Making nice” with our separated brethren is, in itself, a good thing, but, when ecumenism doesn’t rise above that level, the whole process becomes trivialized, as in many places it has been. Eyes glaze over.
As for Hahn, Akin, and Wood, they all say that becoming Catholic was the best thing that ever happened to them. They all remain active in promoting the faith and in working ecumenically with those not yet Catholic. Note the naunce: “not yet Catholic.” The three apologists realize that authentic ecumenism must lead to union to the one Church that Christ founded. Anything less is half-hearted.