Overview

What is contemplation? How is it distinct from meditation? Is contemplation essentially religious or mystical? What should one contemplate, and how? Are there different styles of contemplation, and why should one practice them? Ought we try to lead more contemplative lives? This book offers a philosophical introduction to the theory and practice of contemplation. Kevin Hart examines a variety of religious, aesthetic, and philosophical notions, shedding light on the singular qualities of contemplation. This book spans topics including the spiritual exercises of the ancient Greeks, overlooked aspects of Christian spirituality, and aesthetic contemplation of nature and art. Contemplation ranges from ancient thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, and Plotinus to Aquinas and other medieval theologians as well as modern philosophers like Kant, Husserl, and Wittgenstein. Though focused on Christianity, it also considers contemplation in other religious traditions, among them Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Paganism. Concise and comprehensive, this book provides both religious and nonreligious readers with a foundational understanding of the history and nature of contemplation as well as the benefits of practicing it.

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In this wonderful book Kevin Hart shows us the centrality of contemplation in human life and presents an account of its history, taking us on a journey from an ancient Syrian monk to the importance of practicing contemplation in the contemporary world, bringing in contemplation from other religions along the way. This is essential reading for anyone interested in human thinking and practice that is oriented toward something beyond us. -- Gavin Flood, professor of Hindu studies and comparative religion, Oxford University It takes a master of poetry to move the human heart, a master philosopher to captivate the intellect, and a sage to convey the ineffable encounter with the Holy. Today, this 'trinity' is nowhere more manifest than in the works of Kevin Hart, and perhaps nowhere more accessible than in this book. Contemplation might change your life. -- Ulrich L. Lehner, Warren Professor, University of Notre Dame

Hart’s reflections on Christian contemplation provoke the very movements of soul they invoke. In reading them, the soul takes flight from the lands of unlikeness. * Church Life Journal * Lucidly written and comprehensive in scope, Kevin Hart's book on contemplation reflects both his erudition as a scholar and his sophistication as a contemplative practitioner. He moves gracefully between philosophical and theological histories and then back to possibilities for practice in the reader's present. Philosophy forged in the mind of a poet, as Hart's readers have come to expect. -- Cassandra Falke, Arctic University of Norway In this wonderful book, Hart shows us the centrality of contemplation in human life and presents an account of its history. He takes us on a journey from an ancient Syrian monk’s writings to the importance of practicing contemplation in the contemporary world, bringing in examples from many religions along the way. This is essential reading for anyone interested in thinking and practice that are oriented toward something beyond us. -- Gavin Flood, professor of Hindu studies and comparative religion, Oxford University It takes a master of poetry to move the human heart, a master philosopher to captivate the intellect, and a sage to convey the ineffable encounter with the Holy. Today, this 'trinity' is nowhere more manifest than in the works of Kevin Hart and perhaps nowhere more accessible than in this book. Contemplation might change your life. -- Ulrich L. Lehner, Warren Professor, University of Notre Dame

Author Information

Kevin Hart is the Jo Rae Wright University Professor in the Divinity School at Duke University. His most recent books include Lands of Likeness: For a Poetics of Contemplation (2023) and Dark-Land: Memoir of a Secret Childhood (2024). His recent poems are collected in Wild Track: New and Selected Poems (2015).

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