Intimacy with God

Thomas Keating's "Intimacy with God" emerged from his decades of teaching centering prayer and contemplative practice at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado. Written as both an introduction to and deepening of contemplative prayer, the work addresses contemporary Christians who sense that conventional prayer methods leave them spiritually hungry but lack guidance for entering deeper waters of contemplative intimacy.

Keating presents contemplative prayer not as an advanced technique for spiritual elites but as the natural flowering of every Christian's baptismal calling to union with God. He traces the movement from vocal prayer through meditation to contemplative prayer, explaining how the Holy Spirit gradually takes the initiative in prayer as practitioners learn to rest in God's presence rather than depend solely on thoughts, words, and emotions. The book's central argument revolves around consent—the practice of releasing attachment to particular thoughts and feelings during prayer in order to rest in pure intention toward God. Keating draws extensively on the Christian contemplative tradition, particularly John of the Cross and the author of "The Cloud of Unknowing," to demonstrate that contemplative prayer represents recovery of Christianity's own mystical heritage rather than borrowing from other traditions.

The work has remained influential because it offers accessible entry into contemplative practice while maintaining rigorous grounding in Christian theology and tradition. Keating's psychological sophistication, informed by his dialogue with contemporary therapeutic approaches, helps readers understand the emotional and spiritual obstacles that arise in contemplative practice. Who should read this: Christians who feel drawn to contemplative prayer but need practical guidance and theological foundation, and those seeking to deepen their prayer life beyond conventional methods. This is not for readers looking for quick spiritual fixes or those uncomfortable with extended periods of silent, wordless prayer.