Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation

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	• Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation Martin Laird Oxford University Press, USA, 2006 - 176 pages average customer review:based on 11 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Authentic Presentation of Contemplative Prayer Practice

Martin Laird gives an authentic presentation of Contemplative Prayer Practice within the Christian tradition. This presentation portrays a deep openness of heart and mind from the inside out. Laird offers a wealth of knowledge related to Christian contemplative practice. His own interiority and experience shines throughout the book. The book offers the rich insights of other contemplative traditions (Eastern) but it is clearly rooted in the heart of the vast landscape of the Christian contemplative lineage where the divine/human relationship soaks in silence, nature, and Word. The mingling together of these contemplative nuances form a language of ancient wisdom that can be understood and accessible today. Each chapter in Laird's book has an invitational and creative title which often is not found in books of this nature: 1) Parting the Veil: The Illusion of Separation from God, 2) The Wild Hawk of the Mind, 3) The Body's Call to Prayer, 4) The Three Doorways of the Present Moment; the Way of the Prayer Word, 5) The Riddles of Distration, 6) From Victim to Witness: Practicing with Affliction, 7) The Liturgy of Our Wounds, and his Epilogue: Who Am I? A Tale of Monastic Failure. The book brings to life the teachings of the desert abbas and ammas. Laird quotes Meister Eckhart on p. 23 of the book: "Meister Eckhart says, "The noblest entertainment in this life is to be silent and let God work and speak within." Many would probably disagree with that statement in today's world. The book is for the beginner, the intermediate, and advanced practitioners alike. *Into the Silent Land* takes the reader into the landscape of the Psalmist's heart: "Let us live every moment in "applying our hearts to wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)

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Helpful insights for the contemplative path

In this book Laird explains passages on the contemplative journey in ways that were new to me. (Perhaps I should admit here that I didn't even know there were identifiable stages of silence.) He names the doorway into each stage, the treasure one finds there, and what is entailed in opening the door - the riddle that must be solved before entering. As a student and practitioner of centering prayer for 15 years, I found these insights fascinating as well as wonderfully presented. But Laird doesn't just leave us with theories; he offers practical applications of his lessons. Here are real people struggling with real difficulties, practicing contemplative methods, solving the riddles, moving through the stages, gaining new freedom and joy. Laird offers not only mysteries and metaphors, but tools and tips! I would recommend this book to anyone on the contemplative journey.

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Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation

Excellent! Written for the novice as well as the more experienced.
Clear, Concise and Complete!! ams

Great Guide for Beginners !

Great Guide for Beginners! Very Simple Instructions, and Good Explanations of the Ground-lay of the "Silent Land." Instructions are again repeated as from a gentle teacher, so that the reader understands, so that the info can saturate.... I recommend the book for the Christian who wants to go deeper in his communion with Christ Jesus.

Spiritual contemplation

This is a very readable, fairly concise guide to the contemplative life. The author cites many sources and covers almost 2,000 years of writings, and his stories relate well to the subject. In order to really benefit, the book should probably be read through a number of times. For someone who wants to connect with God, it is a good primer.

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