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contemplation
contemplation, contemplative life. The Latin contemplatio, like its Greek equivalent, primarily means looking at things, either with the eyes or with the mind; in either case it can be contrasted with doing things. Gregory the Great gave a classic definition of the contemplative life as one devoted exclusively to the love of God; he also argued that we know God precisely in loving Him.
In the later Middle Ages there was a tendency to conflate the notions of meditation, prayer, and contemplation around the idea of an intense love of God, felt in the affections. This led to the notion of contemplation as a form of prayer, and so to ‘contemplative prayer’, distinguished by St Teresa of Ávila and St John of the Cross from ‘mental prayer’ or meditation. They defined it as being a supernatural state of prayer, in which the exercise of the natural powers of the mind and will is suspended. In modern times ‘contemplative life’ is equated with the life of members of strictly enclosed religious orders, such as the Carthusians and Carmelite nuns. |
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "contemplation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "contemplation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-contemplation.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "contemplation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-contemplation.html |
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Contemplation
Contemplation. In modern Western use, mental prayer that is non-discursive and thus distinct from meditation. At this stage, prayer usually begins to be less the fruit of human effort and more the result of direct divine grace, a distinction suggested by the traditional contrast between ‘acquired’ and ‘infused’ contemplation.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Contemplation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Contemplation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Contemplation.html JOHN BOWKER. "Contemplation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Contemplation.html |
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Contemplation
127. Contemplation
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"Contemplation." Allusions--Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. 1986. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Contemplation." Allusions--Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. 1986. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505500136.html "Contemplation." Allusions--Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. 1986. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505500136.html |
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