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In Christian mysticism, contemplative prayer or contemplation, for which the Greek term ''theoria'' is also used,〔 is a form of prayer distinct from vocal prayer (the recitation of words) and, strictly speaking, from meditation (a form of mental prayer, also called methodical prayer, based on discursive reflection on various considerations).〔"The Christian tradition comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. They have in common the recollection of the heart" ((Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2721). )〕 == Christian meditation and contemplation == In discursive meditation, mind and imagination and other faculties are actively employed in an effort to understand our relationship with God.〔(Meditation and Contemplation )〕〔"Meditation is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. Its goal is to make our own in faith the subject considered, by confronting it with the reality of our own life"((Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2723). )〕 In contemplative prayer, this activity is curtailed, so that contemplation has been described as "a gaze of faith", "a silent love".〔"Contemplative prayer is the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery" ((Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2724). )〕 John of the Cross described the difference between discursive meditation and contemplation by saying: "The difference between these two conditions of the soul is like the difference between working, and enjoyment of the fruit of our work; between receiving a gift, and profiting by it; between the toil of travelling and the rest of our journey's end".〔(John of the Cross, ''The Ascent of Mount Carmel'', p. 125 )〕〔(Bede Frost, ''The Art of Mental Prayer'', p. 209 )〕 An Oriental Orthodox expert on prayer says: "Meditation is an activity of one's spirit by reading or otherwise, while contemplation is a spontaneous activity of that spirit. In meditation, man's imaginative and thinking power exert some effort. Contemplation then follows to relieve man of all effort. Contemplation is the soul's inward vision and the heart's simple repose in God."〔(Mattá al-Miskīn, ''Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way (St Vladimir's Seminary Press 2003 ISBN 0-88141-250-3), p. 56 )〕 There is no clear-cut boundary between Christian meditation and Christian contemplation, and they sometimes overlap. Meditation serves as a foundation on which the contemplative life stands, the practice by which someone begins the state of contemplation.〔 A distinction is made between acquired or natural contemplation and infused or supernatural contemplation.〔(Augustin Poulain, "Contemplation", in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' 1908 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Christian contemplation」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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