These talks recapture the riches of the mystical tradition for the contemporary world. Bernard McGinn draws on the experience and writings of the Christian mystics who saw the mystical or contemplative practice as crucial to what it means to be human. He describes the mystical element as necessary to a balanced religious personality, integrating with the institutional and intellectual elements but also bringing something to the whole. Beginning with Jesus as the first contemplative, McGinn traces the development of the Christian contemplative tradition as represented by the earliest mystics Origen, Evagrius, John Cassian and Gregory the Great. The insights of these great teachers are an important resource for those drawn to contemplative prayer.

These talks were presented at the John Main Seminar in Houston, Texas, in 2017.

Praying with the Masters Today 1 belongs to the Meditatio Talks Series, a collection of talks designed for sharing the teaching of meditation and for personal reflection. The talks offer encouragement and inspiration for the practice of meditation and a deeper understanding of the spiritual journey.

Some titles in the Meditatio Talks Series are:

The Prayer that Jesus Taught Vol 1-4 (2006 A-D)
The Ego on Our Spiritual Journey I & II (2008 A-B)
In Times of Anxiety (2009 C)