{"id":3315,"date":"2016-09-07T07:44:47","date_gmt":"2016-09-07T12:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/?p=3315"},"modified":"2016-09-07T07:44:47","modified_gmt":"2016-09-07T12:44:47","slug":"evangelical-christian-thoughts-about-mindfulness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/2016\/09\/evangelical-christian-thoughts-about-mindfulness\/","title":{"rendered":"Evangelical Christian Thoughts about “Mindfulness”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Evangelical Christian Thoughts about \u201cMindfulness\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently I had the privilege of reading a fine doctoral dissertation by a brilliant young Christian social worker and counselor about \u201cMindfulness.\u201d I had already seen and heard the term but was not fully aware of what it meant. Her dissertation argued, very cogently, that, even though contemporary Mindfulness is often rooted in Buddhism<\/a>, Christians can use it helpfully and that there are historical Christian precedents for it in especially Christian mysticism. In other words, her dissertation was a well-researched and, I judge, successful exercise in what is called \u201cfaith-learning integration\u201d or \u201cintegration of Christian faith with a discipline of study and practice not normally associated with Christian faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

*Sidebar: The opinions expressed here are my own (or those of the guest writer); I do not speak for any other person, group or organization; nor do I imply that the opinions expressed here reflect those of any other person, group or organization unless I say so specifically. Before commenting read the entire post and the \u201cNote to commenters\u201d at its end.*<\/em><\/p>\n

I was privileged to serve on this student\u2019s dissertation examination committee and was present at her dissertation defense. She clearly \u201cknew her stuff\u201d\u2014the history and theory behind Mindfulness as a counseling technique and the history and theory behind \u201ccontemplative Christianity.\u201d She brought them together in creative tension and integration\u2014demonstrating how Christian counselors can use Mindfulness training (of clients) rooted in Christianity without any dependence on Buddhism.<\/p>\n

At great risk of getting it at least somewhat wrong, I will now describe in a very general way what \u201cMindfulness\u201d is\u2014as a counseling technique designed to help clients\/patients cope with stress and anxiety. To most non-Christian therapists its closest analog is Zen meditation. Some Zen masters have called it \u201cstilling the \u2018monkey mind\u2019.\u201d The idea is to empty the mind of analytical thoughts, perhaps all thoughts, and focusing the mind on being present in the moment without judgment. It is, therefore, a meditative relaxation technique and has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety when practiced under the guidance and care of a trained therapist.<\/p>\n

Now, also at great risk of being contradicted, I will attempt to describe in a very general way what \u201ccontemplative Christianity\u201d is\u2014as a spiritual practice designed to help Christians commune with God and overcome focus on self in prayer. Two of the leading advocates of contemplative Christianity are Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating. One could also reach back to mention Thomas Merton. Advocates of contemplative Christianity build on the mystical tradition of especially Catholic Christianity to teach a form of prayer that does not use words. I think that is key to contemplative Christianity\u2014to pray without words. In such prayer one focuses on being receptive to God while avoiding \u201ctalking to\u201d God.<\/p>\n

During my thirty plus years of teaching theology in two Baptist institutions of higher education I have several times come across Christians who are committed to contemplative Christianity and its form of \u201cprayer.\u201d That is not to say it is their only spiritual exercise; it is only to say they seem especially devoted to using it and promoting its use among fellow Christians.<\/p>\n

Two of my favorite Christian theologians, however, have criticized \u201cwordless prayer\u201d as an oxymoron: Donald G. Bloesch in The Struggle of Prayer<\/em> and Emil Brunner in his chapter on prayer in Dogmatics 3: The Christian Doctrine of the Church, Faith and the Consummation<\/em>. Neither of these mentors (of mine) rejected wordless listening for God as a form of Christian spirituality; both rejected calling it \u201cprayer.\u201d According to them, and I must agree, there is no \u201cwordless praying\u201d in the Bible. In the Bible prayer is always, as Bloesch insists, \u201cconversation with God.\u201d Yes, listening for God\u2019s response is a vital part of that conversation, but \u201cprayer without words\u201d is not prayer<\/em>; it is meditation<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I have no theological objection to merging \u201ccontemplative\u201d spiritual practice with Christian counseling in therapy so long as it does not include elements of Buddhism (e.g., use of Zen philosophy or spirituality) or Hinduism (e.g., use of a mantra in meditation). I do discourage those practices among Christians because they infringe on God\u2019s sole Lordship and move toward syncretism. Much contemporary \u201cMindfulness\u201d theory includes\u2014whether this is mentioned to clients\/patients or not\u2014some idea of \u201cunion with the All\u201d or \u201cunion with the sacred,\u201d etc., that comes together with dissolution of self. Christian union with God is communion<\/em> between God and the human self; it does not involve dissolution or loss of self in union with God. Becoming \u201cone with God\u201d in an ontological sense has consistently been criticized by all branches of orthodox Christianity\u2014Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant\u2014insofar as it implies some ontological blending together of God and the self resulting in loss of clear distinction. Eastern Orthodox \u201cdeification\u201d (which some Catholics and Protestants also believe) does not<\/em> mean, contrary to what many outsiders think, such a blending of the self into God. It means receiving a partial participation in God\u2019s immortal life as a gift of grace while remaining a creature.<\/p>\n

*Note to commenters:<\/em> This blog is not a discussion board; please respond with a question or comment solely to me. If you do not share my evangelical Christian perspective (very broadly defined), feel free to ask a question for clarification, but know that this is not a space for debating incommensurate perspectives\/worldviews. In any case, know that there is no guarantee that your question or comment will be posted by the moderator or answered by the writer. If you hope for your question or comment to appear here and be answered or responded to, make sure it is civil, respectful, and \u201con topic.\u201d Do not comment if you have not read the entire post and do not misrepresent what it says. Keep any comment (including questions) to minimal length; do not post essays, sermons or testimonies here. Do not post links to internet sites here. This is a space for expressions of the blogger\u2019s (or guest writers\u2019) opinions and constructive dialogue among evangelical Christians (very broadly defined).<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Evangelical Christian Thoughts about \u201cMindfulness\u201d Recently I had the privilege of reading a fine doctoral dissertation by a brilliant young Christian social worker and counselor about \u201cMindfulness.\u201d I had already seen and heard the term but was not fully aware of what it meant. Her dissertation argued, very cogently, that, even though contemporary Mindfulness is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nEvangelical Christian Thoughts about "Mindfulness"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Evangelical Christian Thoughts about \u201cMindfulness\u201d Recently I had the privilege of reading a fine doctoral dissertation by a brilliant young Christian\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/2016\/09\/evangelical-christian-thoughts-about-mindfulness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Evangelical Christian Thoughts about "Mindfulness"\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Evangelical Christian Thoughts about \u201cMindfulness\u201d Recently I had the privilege of reading a fine doctoral dissertation by a brilliant young Christian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/2016\/09\/evangelical-christian-thoughts-about-mindfulness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Roger E. 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