Thomas Keating

Beloved Trappist monk Thomas Keating is best known as the one of the primary founders of the Centering Prayer movement, which made the contemplative dimension of Christianity accessible through a simple method of silent, still meditation. He is also known as the convener of the Snowmass Interreligious Conference, which helped birth the global Inter-spiritual movement. Born in New York City in 1923, Keating's open invitation to people of all walks to embark on a spiritual journey, coupled with...See more

Beloved Trappist monk Thomas Keating is best known as the one of the primary founders of the Centering Prayer movement, which made the contemplative dimension of Christianity accessible through a simple method of silent, still meditation. He is also known as the convener of the Snowmass Interreligious Conference, which helped birth the global Inter-spiritual movement. Born in New York City in 1923, Keating's open invitation to people of all walks to embark on a spiritual journey, coupled with his emphasis on the oneness of all creation, made him a 20th-century harbinger of 21st-century ideals. By promoting the practice of contemplative prayer through the non-profit Contemplative Outreach, Keating reached Christians within and beyond his Roman Catholic tradition, including 12 Step groups, incarcerated people, and people of all traditions and none-simultaneously connecting with contemplatives worldwide. Keating's work effectively expanded the common ground where spiritual diversity thrives in unity with what he called "the human family."Keating often mused on the transformative power of silence, as revealed in one of his favorite sayings "Silence is God's first language. Everything else is a poor translation." Keating's love of silence infused his monastic life and spilled into the many books he wrote, including Open Mind, Open Heart, Invitation to Love, Intimacy with God, and Divine Therapy and Addiction. Thomas Keating died on the 25th of October 2018 at the age of 95. See less