Intimacy With God                                     Keating
                          Mike Ervin

Great — here’s a comprehensive summary of Intimacy with God: An Introduction to Centering Prayer by Father Thomas Keating, written in the same style as the others so you’ll have a matching set for the trilogy.

Quick Overview

Intimacy with God (Crossroad, 1994; later reprints) is the third major volume in Thomas Keating’s “Centering Prayer trilogy.” Whereas Open Mind, Open Heart introduced the practice, and Invitation to Love explored the psychological and spiritual dynamics of transformation, Intimacy with God emphasizes the theological foundations and experiential fruits of Centering Prayer. Keating frames the practice as a way of consenting to God’s presence and action within, deepening the Christian’s relationship with the Trinity, and preparing the practitioner for what he calls divine union.

Structure of the Book

The book is divided into short chapters or essays, each building on aspects of Centering Prayer:

  • The meaning of intimacy with God
  • Theological basis of contemplative prayer in Scripture and Christian tradition
  • Consent and transformation of consciousness
  • The stages of prayer and union (drawing on Teresa of Ávila, John of the Cross, etc.)
  • The fruits of Centering Prayer in daily life and community

Chapter-by-Chapter (High-Level Summary)

1. The Human Longing for God

  • Prayer is a response to God’s invitation, not a technique.
  • Centering Prayer is rooted in the human need for intimacy and union with the divine.
  • This longing is universal, though often hidden beneath distractions and addictions.

2. The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel

  • Keating shows how the New Testament reveals Jesus calling his disciples to an inner transformation (e.g., “Go into your inner room and pray to your Father in secret”).
  • The Sermon on the Mount becomes a roadmap for purification of motives and openness to grace.

3. Consent: The Heart of Centering Prayer

  • Centering Prayer is fundamentally the act of consent to God’s presence and action within.
  • This distinguishes it from discursive meditation: the focus is not on words or images, but on silent availability.
  • Keating explains the use of the sacred word as a symbol of this consent.

4. The Dynamics of Interior Silence

  • Silence is not emptiness but receptivity to God’s presence.
  • Psychological material (memories, emotions, unconscious material) often rises during prayer; this is the “divine therapy” at work.
  • Letting thoughts go is cooperating with purification.

5. Stages of the Spiritual Journey

  • Keating adapts classical mystics’ descriptions (e.g., Teresa’s Interior Castle) into a modern psychological-spiritual map.
  • Early stages: purification of the false self, disidentification with habitual patterns.
  • Later stages: infusion of divine love, movement toward contemplative union.

6. The Fruits of Centering Prayer

  • Over time, the practice fosters:
  • Greater compassion and non-judgment
  • Freedom from compulsions
  • Humility and gentleness
  • A natural sense of God’s presence throughout the day
  • True intimacy with God expresses itself in love of others and service.

7. The Transforming Union

  • The goal is not extraordinary experiences but radical inner transformation into Christlikeness.
  • Keating stresses that mystical union is not reserved for a spiritual elite but is God’s desire for all.

8. Community and the Spiritual Journey

  • Centering Prayer is not just personal but communal; small prayer groups and supportive spiritual friendships are vital.
  • The practice contributes to healing divisions and fostering reconciliation within the larger church.

Major Themes and Insights

  1. Prayer as Relationship – True prayer is about intimacy with God, not achieving experiences or solving problems.
  2. Consent and Surrender – The sacred word symbolizes letting go of self-control and allowing God to act at the deepest levels.
  3. Healing of the Unconscious – Centering Prayer allows repressed material to surface, leading to inner freedom.
  4. Integration with Tradition – Keating grounds the practice in Scripture and the writings of the mystics (e.g., John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila, The Cloud of Unknowing).
  5. Transformation into Love – The test of authentic prayer is a life of compassion, forgiveness, and service.

Practical Elements in the Book

  • Clear, simple instructions for Centering Prayer practice (sacred word, sitting in silence, handling distractions).
  • Pastoral encouragement for handling difficulties (e.g., boredom, restlessness, painful memories).
  • Integration into daily life: short “mini-prayers” of consent throughout the day.
  • The importance of balance: combining Centering Prayer with Lectio Divina, Eucharist, and acts of service.

Tone, Style, and Audience

  • Tone: Gentle, pastoral, and invitational, with a balance of theology and psychological insight.
  • Audience: Christians seeking a deeper prayer life, those already practicing Centering Prayer, and spiritual directors guiding others on the contemplative path.

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths

  • Accessible yet profound — offers both theological grounding and practical instructions.
  • Connects ancient mystical tradition with modern psychological language.
  • Provides encouragement for those experiencing inner upheavals during prayer.

Limitations

  • Written primarily from a Christian theological perspective; non-Christian practitioners may need to adapt language.
  • Readers seeking a more academic or historical treatment of contemplation may find the pastoral tone too simple.

Practical Takeaways

  • Centering Prayer = relationship, not technique — the heart is consent, not control.
  • Silence heals — trust the process when psychological material arises.
  • Daily practice — 20 minutes twice a day is recommended, supplemented by short moments of interior consent during the day.
  • Transformation shows in love — the authenticity of intimacy with God is tested in compassion and service.

Place in Keating’s Trilogy

  • Open Mind, Open Heart = Introduction to the method of Centering Prayer.
  • Invitation to Love = Exploration of the psychological/spiritual dynamics of transformation.
  • Intimacy with God = Theological and experiential fruits of the practice, with a strong focus on relationship with God.

Together, these three books form a complete framework: method → process → fruits.