Colleges, Contemplative and Campolo

Last October, Emory University of Methodist roots, installed "His Holiness", the Dalai Lama, as a distinguished professor . The New York Times quoted Robert Paul, the college dean:

“One of the great things about the Methodist tradition is they don’t insist that everybody has to be Methodist,” ...“His Holiness is a religious figure who is not dogmatic, not sectarian, doesn’t advocate ‘My way or the highway.”


The head of Tibetan Buddhism will reportedly meet with The Pope on December 13 , 2007 (Photo credit CNA).

The Catholic News Service reports Christian meditation finds a sanctuary at Georgetown University. A quote from the article shows that contemplative prayer knows no religious boundaries:

"The Georgetown meditation session was flanked by two readings: one from a Chinese text called "Tao-Ching," the other by the late Benedictine priest, Father John Main...his efforts to spread Christian meditative practices have been observed this year with different programs across North America."

Another hall of academia, Naropa University promotes a "contemplative education". In Evangelical circles, contemplative prayer is promoted, embraced and encouraged by Tony Campolo, the Emergents and Youth Specialties, just to name a few among many.

In the video below, Tony Campolo ( of Eastern University) explains how St. Ignatius coined the term "centering prayer". Campolo describes how he practices centering prayer..." push everything out of your mind ...allow Christ to invade you". Campolo gets "full of the Holy Spirit that way"...

Listen to Campolo describe how the Holy Spirit "is in you before you became a Christian" (unlike being dead in your trespasses) and "Christ indwells all, saved and unsaved."

See the alarming list of colleges and universities that are going contemplative. See related post, Campolo: Mysticism's the bridge between Christianity & Islam.