Book Review: Prayer in the Cave of the Heart

Last updated on: November 26, 2011 at 6:04 am by Greg Richardson

Book Review: Prayer in the Cave of the Heart 2011-11-26T06:04:28-08:00 Greg Richardson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Cyprian Consiglio is a musician and composer, spiritual teacher, and Camaldolese Benedictine monk; he is part of the same branch of the Benedictine family to which I am connected as a lay oblate.

Brother Cyprian begins Prayer in the Cave of the Heart by acknowledging the growing hunger for interiority in our world, and our culture, and that the interior way often goes against our natural grain as people. Our senses draw us outward, and we rarely think to look into ourselves. He writes that, more and more, monks are coming to understand that it is their obligation, and privilege, to share the fruit of the interior journey with others.

One approach to the interior journey is to slowly and gradually filter through the content of the unconscious mind; paying close attention, pondering and analyzing each dream and each symbol. This is the approach of modern psychology, as well as mystics of various traditions for whom God’s revelations rise up from deep levels of their consciousness. Cyprian’s journey, and his book, rely on the other approach, the via negativa. This approach views the “clues” on which the first approach depends as distractions, and focuses on union with the deepest image of God within us. The differences in these approaches shape the prayer lives of the people who rely on them,

Prayer in the Cave of the Heart includes sections which address what Jesus and Paul each said or wrote about prayer, continual prayer as practiced by the Desert Mothers and Fathers, “pure prayer,” the soul’s ascent through the depths of union with God, the relationship of the mind and the heart in prayer, Lectio Divina, and the Beautiful Names of God. He explores the connections between contemplation and meditation, examines various ways to deal with the “monkey mind” of wandering thoughts such as sacred words and mantras, and discusses the profound truths of apophatic theology.

Brother Cyprian writes openly and accessibly about the interior life, drawing on resources from a variety of spiritual traditions. Each chapter thoughtfully reflects on a particular aspect of prayer and includes thoughts drawn from scriptural sources, Christian history and writers, Jewish thinkers, Muslim contemplatives, psychology, Buddhist teachers, and Hindu practices. Each chapter concludes with Questions of Method, which address tangible points of practice.

Prayer in the Cave of the Heart is a resource of tremendous potential for spiritual directors of various traditions, people interested in contemplative prayer, and anyone who seeks to grasp deep truths about prayer. I have read from it as I facilitate a centering prayer group, and recommended it to several people with whom I meet as a spiritual director.

What draws you to the via negativa? What draws you away?

Yes, this is my 100th post!

Blog

Book Reviews

Spiritual Practices

Previous Post

November 25, 2011

Advent: Listening for the Word

Next Post

November 29, 2011 So, What is This Advent, Anyway?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Blog Book Reviews Everything Else Guest Posts Leadership Monastic Strategies Neighborhood Pilgrimages Sacred Stillness Spiritual Direction Spiritual Practices Work

Select a Month May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian group believes in "baptism of the Holy Spirit" with evidence of speaking in tongues?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Lutherans Methodists Presbyterians Pentecostals