James Finley's calm voice, clear and accessible teachings and his way of talking one through the various meditations are all very life-giving! I have energitically recommened this to others who are interest in exploring ways of praying that give them a sense of becoming quite and more focused in prayer. I am a spiritual director and involved in ecumenical retreat work and plan to use these tapes with others on retreat.

The photo of the CD's Christian Meditation does not match the author and title beside it?

Tom Stella is a gifted writer whose new book - THE GOD INSTINCT can best be described as powerful, inspirational and insightful. Tom is a Catholic priest, though after reading his book, you will conclude that he could just as easily be a holy man representing any one of a multitude of religions.
Tom opens our minds to a new way of experiencing and understanding God's presence in our life. Seeing God in this light helps us to understand how we are all one, seeking our individual destinies while always in touch, in some mysterious yet personal way. He helps us to understand that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, a concept I had not previously considered. He points out that who we are is more than what we are or what we do, and that who we thought we were was merely the tip of the iceberg. The part of us beneath the surface proves to be vast and devine. It is there where we find our soul, which is one with God, blurring the boundary that once clearly separated humanity and divinity. Understanding individuals in this new light explains why we must have reverence for all human beings.
Talking about religion, Tom notes that religion cannot and need not be a Sabbath only affair whose intent is to help us get through life unscathed by sin. It must be about passion more than piety, celebration, not just obligation, life as well as liturgy. It must be a positive force, both alive and enlivening. It must serve to rebind us not only to our true selves, but to the human community as well. And yes, there are positives to be found in institutional religion, which can have potential values for all of us.
Tom gives us insight into spirituality and the spiritual person, making these concepts more attainable and understandable to us. He significantly broadened ny definition of faith, pointing out that in true faith, we do not lose contact with people. He also helped me realize that there is a "listening" component to prayer - another revelation to me.

Tom makes us think further when he states that "an indication that one is growing spiritually is not evidenced by the frequency or intensity of religious experiences, but by the capacity for being smitten by the subtle holiness of life in its everyday simplicity". He relates how we can be spiritually enriched by recognizing and tending to the needs of our bodies, our minds and our emotions. He recognizes that we need not reject the material world to grow spiritually, but in our pursuit of God, we must look within and embrace our longings, rather than looking elsewhere to satisfy them. He makes a good point when he says that though we continue to fall prey to the lure of things; we eventually sense the futility of finding in them satisfaction for our hearts' longing.
In his discussionn of relationships, Tom made me aware of another way to look at selfishness - expecting or demanding that others orient their lives so as to please us.
Tom's chapter on work is truly inspirational - a chapter that deserves periodic re-reading. Yet, he promotes a balanced life that includes having fun, leisure and play. He concludes his book with a discussion of a variety of useful ways that one might employ to enhance their spiritual practice.
Tom's book would prove to be a worthwhile addition to any library. It should be read and re-read by anyone yearning to discover the presence of a sacred depth in nature, human nature, or the events of ordinary life.

"The God Instinct" is a breath of fresh air in affirming the sacredness of our lives, in spite of our struggles with long held beliefs, religious precepts and our human imperfections.

Stella draws heavily upon his own spiritual odyssey inspired by spiritual writers, such as, Thomas Merton and Anthony DeMello. He allows us to be comfortable with our constant searchings and uncertainties--perhaps, one of the basic ingredients of spirituality.

His style is concise and well-constructed rendering an easy, enjoyable read. Homespun, humorous axioms are engagingly used to explicate "nuggets" of spiritual wisdom.

This work is really a collection of essays on essential facets of our spiritual lives. Such a format lends itself to use as short spiritual readings/meditations for groups or individuals.

"The God Instinct" is a refreshingly inciteful treatise on spirituality.

This book is fantastic. Wonderful tool, quick and precise. Long awaited

To teach the justice in morality it would be wrong if you don't get this book. This book brings up all the ordeals someone would need to know. And how to act with a moral decision process, This book is gret for people that care. Personally I would recommend it for teenagers and up

Apart from the gospels and new testament,this is,THE,most rewarding book i have ever read.It stresses with clarity the fundamental importance of becoming aware of our true identity in christ,and equally important of becoming aware of our false self,the self rooted in the ego.The book is a wake up call for all those who would see the spiritual life as a process of self agrandizement.With it's raw honesty and gentleness one gradually becomes ever more aware of just how important the issue of identity is in the spiritual life,and the huge importance merton ascribed to it.This book is a threat to the ego and it's hollow and false little world,that it creates in it's rivalry with god.I advise all christians to read and reread this beautiful book,even if at times,it becomes a little tough.

it is fine

This book is so well written that the act of reading is in itself
contemplative. It is not so much difficult to read, but rather each sentence resonates with a depth that requires stillness & presence of mind. So one stops and revels in the moment that each line strips bare. It may take a life time to absorb. In the meantime it may wake you up to all that surrounds you and is within you. What more could one ask of a book?

The Contemplative Heart, from the first page on, is a book that really had an impact on me. Jim Finley communicates gently and without arrogance, speaking to the heart through his own observations, experiences and journey. His writes about how we can know God and experience God through anything and everything...that all of life is speaking to us...that we can experience a deep sense of grace and peace even through the mundane, through pain, through silence, through all of the things that we encounter in our daily lives. I especially was touched by his emphasis on "the divinity of what just is." I've been raised all my life with the concept of grace, but this book expressed grace in a way i never have heard before. It has helped renew my belief that God's heart is full of grace, that all of life is speaking about this grace.

James Finley's book, "The Contemplative Heart," recommended to me by a friend, is a gentle, melodious and profound treatise on connecting with God and spirit through the practice of mindfulness and contemplation. Though Finley comes from a Catholic tradition--and in fact spent many years studying under the great Thomas Merton--the book is pleasingly devoid of religious dogma or rhetoric, stripping from God the millenia of human-created trappings and faces we have hung on Her and returning her to us, naked and relevant. The premise rests in a mystical and vaguely Buddhist notion that we can have a direct experience of the the presence and creativity of God when we are contemplatively aware of our present moment, whether sitting on a hill looking over the ocean, or stuck in traffic. He presents to us the availability of contemplative experience through meditation, and gives us a practical roadmap to assist us with our inevitable distraction and resistance. Finley's language itself helps take us there, creating in its repetitious, poetic cadence a mantra of sorts which soothes and readies us for contemplative awareness. But Finley cautions us too against the trappings of "mystical thought," as his contemplative path is practical and unromantic. You won't suddenly be "awakened," God will not appear magically to you in a burning bush or a plate of spaghetti. But if you commit yourself to simply being in the present moment, you may find yourself awakened to the divine creative wonder and mystery inherent in our very existence at any given moment of our lives. That is the true beauty and gift James Finley gives us with "The Contemplative Heart"--access to our own "contemplative heart," and through that, access in turn to the heart and soul of God.