Thomas Keating
Thomas Keating was an American catholic priest and monk of the Cistercian order also known as the Trappist monk. He was a renowned theologian and author that co-founded a form of contemplative prayer called centering prayer. He is a former abbot of St. Joseph’s Abbey in spencer.
Fr Keating was born on March 7, 1923 to Cletus and Elizabeth Keating. He was born into affluence as his father was a prominent maritime lawyer just like his father before him. At age 5, he was diagnosed with a terrible illness, and his chances of survival was slim. It was at this point, he made a solemn promise to God that if he was spared until the age of 21, he would become a priest. His desire to regain his health drove him to sneak out to early morning masses because his parents would not allow him to go.
He attended Deerfield academy for his secondary school. Upon completion of his academic studies in Deerfield academy, he entered Yale University to study Christianity. While in Yale University, he learned about the history of the church and was drawn to the mystics. In the year 1940, he transferred to Fordham University, a Jesuit run university in Bronx and graduated in 1943. He was deferred from being drafted during World War II to enter the seminary. He joined the Cistercian monastery of the Roman Catholic Church and was ordained a priest in 1949. Born Joseph Parker Kirlin Keating, he adopted Thomas as his spiritual name upon his ordination.
After the second Vatican council, he, together with William Meninger and Basil Pennington formed the centering prayer movement in 1971 following the call to revive the contemplative prayer tradition by Pope Paul VI. He was a renowned theologian and author respected internationally among different faith. His books revolved around the practice of centering prayer and he also organized seminars and conferences with representative of different religions like the Dalai Lama, rabbis and imams to discourse on the centering prayer movement and contemplative prayer. In his article of 1993, “clarifications regarding centering prayer”, he suggests that Jesus describes the view of god as panentheistic rather than pantheistic, meaning, God is present in all creation by virtue of his omnipresence and omnipotence, sustaining every creature in being without being identified with any creature (panentheistic) as opposed to the identification of creation as indistinguishable with God. He spent his lifetime encouraging people of all race and creed to prayer; contemplative prayer.
He died at the ripe old age of 95 on 25 October 2018 in St. Joseph’s Abbey.
Some notable books by Thomas Keating include: Intimacy with god; the human condition; the mystery of Christ; the daily reader for contemplative; awaken; centering prayer in daily life and mystery; awakenings; fruits and gifts of the spirit; open mind; open heart; crisis of faith; crisis of love; reawakening. In all, he wrote no less than 40 books, 5 audios and a video material.