"The School of Contemplative Life will surely rate among the most significant responses to the spiritual longings of the people of this nation and abroad". Martin Laird OSA
"This is a most remarkable book. The author makes plain a wisdom tradition has been largely hidden for centuries". Professor Pauline Rudd, Founder Fellow the International Society for Science and Religion
"This book is a strong invitation to discover meditation as a liberating and life-giving dimension of the Christian life, as it is for those of many other religions." Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe OP
'This is indeed a valuable contribution to the literature on contemplation in the modern world.' Bernard McGinn, Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago Divinity School
What if the peace you long for isn't something to earn or strive for, but a sacred treasure already within you, waiting in silence to be discovered? What if this discovery could transform not just your life, but the world around you?
The Missing Peace invites you into a deeper, more spacious way of living--rooted in the Christian wisdom contemplative tradition and born of our collective longing to encounter the divine nature of life. Chris Whittington, founder of The School of Contemplative Life, speaks to those feeling overwhelmed by mental noise, disconnected from God, or adrift in a restless, conflicted world.
Drawing from an almost forgotten wellspring of ancient wisdom reaching back to the Desert Fathers and Mothers, he illuminates a pathway to peace, not through striving, but silence. He speaks to anyone longing for a simple, life-changing spiritual practice but struggling to find the path or companions to walk it with.
The Missing Peace begins with Chris' story--from a secular upbringing to formation at a Benedictine monastery--interweaving personal narrative with deep spiritual insight. These 43 short reflections offer timeless wisdom and a spiritual practice that research suggests can help us live with greater peace, compassion, connection to God, and alignment with our deepest values--a new way of being that can help us recover the missing peace, together.