Fortress Press

Christian Contemplative Prayer is a spiritual discipline and a religious form of silent prayer, which is rooted in scriptural teachings and ancient practices. This book explores the lived experience of this prayer practice among practitioners who have faithfully engaged in this spiritual discipline for many years. Using extensive analysis of interview data from long-term prayer practitioners, this book focuses on the silent form of prayer and its interrelation with well-being and embodiment. Although scholars suggest Christian Contemplative Prayer influences practitioners' well-being, the importance of embodiment within this practice is less understood. Within the conceptual category of 'Embodiment', Holley suggests integrated concepts of Embodied Self, Embodied in Christian Community, Embodied Space, and Embodied in God, thereby further expanding insights into the Christian's holistic prayerful experience of body, mind, and spirit in God's presence.