In August 2017, twenty younger contemplative scholars and practitioners from seven countries were invited to at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado. We gathered at the invitation of four of the key founders of the contemporary Christian contemplative work. The trip was funded by the Trust for the Meditation Process.
To explore a video reflection of the gathering, produced by Leonardo Correa, a participant from Brazil, simply click HERE.
Here is a group photo of the gathering, including Laurence Freeman, Richard Rohr, Tilden Edwards, and Margaret Benefiel, who helped coordinate our conversations. (Thomas Keating was not able to join us that particular day):
The Contemplatives Exchange’s vision is:
Awakening a larger embrace and expansion of Christian contemplative understanding and practice as the vital grounding of Christian life, with openness to collaboration with all streams of contemplative wisdom, in response to the urgent social and spiritual needs of our time.
It is an exchange of evolving experience, understanding, practice, and probing questions related to Christian contemplation among a group of young contemplative thought and practice leaders drawn from different backgrounds, with the hope that their mutual stimulus can bring fresh, Spirit-inspired imagination to the ways contemplation can be understood, practiced and spread in our time, in ecclesial, educational and other institutional and communal contexts.
We worked with the four Founders, shown above. Click next to each name to explore the wonderful work each of these has contributed to the contemplative movement.
Richard Rohr, The Center for Action and Contemplation
Tilden Edwards, The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation
Thomas Keating, Contemplative Outreach
Laurence Freeman, The World Community for Christian Meditation
Over our five days together, we discerned what focus points the Spirit is inviting us to develop in the coming years. It was a fascinating–and humbling–gathering of like-hearted souls who are all wondering how contemplative practices can nurture ministry and practice.
You can watch a video of Fr. Laurence, Fr. Thomas, and Fr. Richard describe the hopes of our shared work:
Thoughts on a Contemplative Reformation 