Meditation as a spiritual path to peace, community and oneness.
Chris Whittington, the author of this book asserted “To all intents and purposes, the teaching and practice of meditation, of silent prayer, has all but disappeared from institutional churches”(p.1).
‘I was encountering (material) which was at the same time both utterly irresistible and profoundly disorientating… Alongside texts from the Christian contemplative tradition, I’d been studying texts from other traditions, particularly those of Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta and Sufi Islam. I told the Abbot it seemed as if a single voice was shining through everything I was reading… he just smiled and quietly said, ‘Yes’. (p.2).
The lack of tuition in silent prayer had concerned Hilary Wakeman when she initiated the Julian Meetings in 1973. She sought advice from church leaders, then from representatives of several contemplative prayer groups who had been running for 50 years or more. Chris had Prinknash Abbey on hand, and at the age of 18, spoke to the Abbot.
Through his title, Chris is asserting that he has found the piece that will complete the jigsaw of our lives, and help us to discover the Peace that comes from God.
This book assembles the talks Chris has given to teach ‘meditation from the Christian wisdom tradition as a spiritual path to peace, community and oneness – as a way of clearing space to encounter the divine nature of life’. (p.128).
Each chapter lasts between one and three pages. They are practical, showing how contemplative prayer heals our daily living. Each quotation is identified at the foot of the page. A quick flick through reveals the breadth of resources, ancient and contemporary, that he has used including Rowan Williams, Martin Laird OSA, the Cloud of Unknowing, Julian of Norwich, the Desert Fathers, and Wendy Beckett. The book is prefaced by commendations from a reliable range of writers.
To Chris, everything follows from the simple practice taught to him by Fr. Alphege, OSB: ‘Let the prayer word and your breath flow together gently and rest there’ (p. 22). His book shows how this can benefit every aspect of our lives.
I recommend this book as an accessible resource about the living Christian tradition of contemplative prayer and meditation.
© Philip Tyers
Member of The Julian Meetings
The Missing Peace: Chris Whittington: Norwich, Canterbury Press, 2025. ISBN 978-1-78622-679-2, paperback, e-book and audiobook. £12.99/£19.99
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