The Wilderness Within
Meditation and Modern Life
Meditation is almost always assumed to be an Eastern spiritual discipline and many people, including practising Christians, are often surprised to discover that there is, in fact, a well-established tradition of contemplative spirituality within Christianity.
The Wilderness Within is a strikingly original approach to the what, the why, and the how of practising meditation within the context of the Christian tradition.
Meditation is not just a form of ‘spiritual technology’ to help us achieve our personal goals, but simply sitting quietly before God. It is not a means to an end, but an end in itself. Though it can be learnt in a few minutes, it is likely to take more than a lifetime to master.
Drawing extensively on the teachings of Jesus and other biblical narratives, The Wilderness Within explores what meditation really is and what it actually involves. It encourages us to explore with honesty our motives for practising it, and explains the need to create a positive and balanced spiritual discipline in our lives.
Meditation is about taking a step back from ourselves, and putting things into perspective. It is about learning to see things as they are, rather than as we think they ought to be. Ultimately, it is about becoming more fully who and what we really are.
Reviews
“This is an exceptionally well written book aimed at those interested in exploring Christian meditation.”
Kirsty Anderson, The Tablet
“This is an accessible and thoughtful book for those looking to discover a new dimension in their spiritual life.”
Rachel Poolman, St Cuthbert’s Centre
“Written in an easy to digest style, Buxton combines pithy reflections on contemporary issues with imaginative biblical reflection whilst drawing on the ancient mystics.”
David Ford, Good Book Reviews
“This is an absolute gem of a book… not so much a how-to-meditate as a why-to-meditate book. In this regard it is one of the best I have come across. It is quite simply superb!”
Revd Canon Christopher Collingwood, York Minster
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