Centering Prayer: What It Is, How to Practice It, and the Theological Debate

Centering prayer sits at one of the more contested intersections in contemporary Christian spirituality. Developed in the 1970s by Trappist monks Thomas Keating, Basil Pennington, and William Meninger — drawing on the 14th-century anonymous text The Cloud of Unknowing — it has attracted both devoted practitioners and sharp critics.

Understanding it requires honesty about what it is, what it isn't, and what the real theological concerns are.

The Background: The Cloud of Unknowing

Centering prayer draws heavily on a 14th-century anonymous English mystical text called The Cloud of Unknowing. The author argues that God, in his essence, cannot be known through the intellect — God transcends all concepts, all images, all thoughts. The way to God, in this tradition, is not through thinking but through love — a simple, naked intention of the will toward God beyond all conceptual content.

"For of all other creatures and their works — yes, and of the works of God himself — may a man through grace have full knowing, and well can he think of them, but of God himself can no man think." (The Cloud of Unknowing, Chapter 6)

This is the apophatic (or "negative") theology tradition — the way of unknowing, the stripping away of all concepts to reach toward the God who transcends them. It has a long Christian pedigree: Gregory of Nyssa, Pseudo-Dionysius, Meister Eckhart, John of the Cross.

How Centering Prayer Works

The practice as taught by Keating involves four guidelines:

1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within you. The word can be anything: "Jesus," "Love," "Abba," "Peace," "Yes," "Amen." It's not a mantra (more on this distinction below). It's a symbol of orientation.

2. Sit comfortably with eyes closed. Settle briefly, and silently introduce the sacred word as your expression of consent to God's presence.

3. When thoughts arise, return gently to the sacred word. Thoughts are inevitable — the instruction is not to suppress them or fight them but simply, gently, to return to the sacred word. "Thoughts" in Keating's framework include not just distractions but also consolations, insights, and spiritual experiences. All of these are set aside in favor of pure consent.

4. At the end of the session, remain in silence for a few minutes. The period after formal centering prayer is important — the transition from the deep prayer back to ordinary consciousness.

Recommended duration: 20 minutes twice daily.

The Theological Concerns (Taken Seriously)

Centering prayer has been critiqued by serious theologians, and their concerns deserve honest engagement:

Concern 1: Emptying the mind vs. Christian prayer

The strongest critique is that centering prayer's goal — the emptying of all thoughts, images, and concepts — is more Buddhist than Christian. Christian prayer, critics argue, is inherently personal — addressed to the personal God, mediated by Christ, engaged in dialogue. The apophatic tradition at its extremes seems to dissolve the personal God into an undifferentiated divine Ground.

Response: The contemplative tradition insists that the emptying is not the goal — it's the means. The goal is union with the personal God, and the emptying of concepts is meant to prepare the soul for that union, not substitute for it. Keating himself insists that centering prayer is not an end in itself but a preparation for ordinary daily living in God's presence.

Concern 2: The sacred word as mantra

Critics worry that the repeated use of a sacred word functions like a mantra — a repetition that induces altered states rather than prayer.

Response: Keating distinguishes between a mantra (repeated constantly, intended to induce a state) and the sacred word (returned to gently whenever thoughts arise, as a symbol of re-orientation, not as a technique). The function is different. Whether the distinction is sufficient is debated.

Concern 3: Opening to spiritual deception

Some critics warn that "emptying the mind" creates dangerous spiritual vulnerability — that prayer without cognitive engagement and biblical content leaves the practitioner open to deception.

Response: This concern has some weight and should not be dismissed. Beginners in contemplative prayer who lack a solid grounding in Scripture and Christian doctrine are potentially more vulnerable than those who approach it from a formed Christian identity. The contemplative tradition itself insists that silence must be embedded in a community, a tradition, and solid theological formation.

The Honest Assessment

Centering prayer is a legitimate heir of a genuine Christian tradition — the apophatic contemplative tradition that has produced some of the great saints and spiritual writers of Christian history. Thomas Keating himself is a serious, learned Trappist monk deeply formed by Christian doctrine and liturgy.

It is also a practice that can be misappropriated — by people seeking experience-for-its-own-sake, by people who use it as a substitute for rather than a complement to Christian formation, and by people who approach it without adequate theological grounding.

The critics (notably Albert Mohler, John MacArthur) make concerns that deserve consideration, even if their wholesale rejection may overcorrect. The defenders make points about the deep roots of apophatic prayer in Christian tradition that deserve consideration, even if they sometimes understate the legitimate concerns.

For most people: Starting with Scripture meditation (lectio divina) or the Jesus Prayer is a safer, more rooted entry point into contemplative prayer. These practices keep the personal God and his revealed word central, while cultivating the stillness and interior silence that centering prayer rightly values.

For those drawn to centering prayer specifically: Do it within the context of regular Scripture reading, theological community, and ideally under the guidance of a spiritual director. Don't let the inner silence replace your engagement with Scripture; let it deepen it.

A Simple Practice

If you want to try centering prayer:

1. Choose a sacred word: "Jesus," "Abba," "Love," or another.
2. Sit comfortably. Take a few breaths. Let yourself arrive.
3. Silently introduce your sacred word as a symbol of your consent to God.
4. When you become aware of a thought (any thought — distraction, feeling, insight), gently return to the sacred word.
5. Practice for 20 minutes. When the time ends, remain in silence for 2-3 minutes before opening your eyes.

The experience will likely be quiet and unmemorable, especially at first. That's fine. You're not producing anything. You're practicing consent.

Related: How to Do Christian Meditation | The Jesus Prayer Guide