The contemplative life and a life of contemplation: The cases of Thomas Keating (1923-2018) and Henri J M Nouwen (1932-1996

• Main Author: Marankey, Robert Martin
• Other Authors: Conradie, E M
• Language: en
• Published: University of Western Cape 2021
• Subjects: Christian spirituality; Contemplative prayer; Social activism; Thomas Keating; Ecumenism
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11394/8373

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD === There has been an upsurge of interest in Christian spirituality in recent years. In this thesis I will provide a brief survey of the history and forms of Christian spirituality in order to sketch the background against which this study will be situated with specific reference to the history of contemplative spirituality. Beginning with the life and teachings of the Desert Fathers it will show that contemplative prayer is firmly rooted in the ancient Christian tradition. More specifically, I will focus on two contemporary exponents of the contemplative tradition of spirituality, namely Thomas Keating (1923-2018) and Henri Nouwen (1932-1996).