Recommended Reading for Contemplative Prayer
Essential texts and books for your contemplative journey, organized by tradition and level
Recommended contemplative reading includes primary sources from the great mystics (Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, the Desert Fathers), contemporary guides that make ancient wisdom accessible, and theological works that provide doctrinal grounding. Reading should complement, not replace, actual prayer practice.
How to Use This Reading Guide
Spiritual reading differs from ordinary reading. The goal is not information accumulation but transformation. Read slowly, prayerfully, and receptively. Stop when something strikes you. Let the text lead you into prayer. Quality over quantity always.
Reading Principles
- Read slowly - A few pages of a spiritual classic, well-digested, is worth more than racing through many books
- Read prayerfully - Pause frequently to let insights lead you into actual prayer
- Stay with one author - Going deep with one tradition before exploring others builds a solid foundation
- Balance primary and secondary sources - Read both the mystics themselves and good commentaries
- Discuss with others - Spiritual reading bears more fruit when shared in community or with a director
Carmelite Tradition Reading List
The Carmelite tradition offers some of the most systematic and profound writings on the spiritual life. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross together provide a complete map of the journey from beginners' prayer to transforming union.
Beginner Level
"The Way of Perfection" - Teresa of Avila
Translation: Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD (ICS Publications)
Written for her nuns, this is Teresa's most accessible work. Practical advice on prayer, community life, and growing in virtue. Start here before the Interior Castle.
"The Practice of the Presence of God" - Brother Lawrence
Translation: Any edition (short work, widely available)
A humble kitchen brother's simple practice of continuous awareness of God. Brief, practical, and immediately applicable. Perfect first contemplative read.
"Story of a Soul" - Therese of Lisieux
Translation: John Clarke, OCD (ICS Publications)
Her autobiography revealing the "Little Way." Shows how ordinary life becomes extraordinary through love. Accessible and deeply moving.
Intermediate Level
"The Interior Castle" - Teresa of Avila
Translation: Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD (ICS Publications)
Teresa's masterpiece mapping the seven dwelling places of the soul. Essential for understanding the stages of prayer. Read after some prayer experience.
"Ascent of Mount Carmel" - John of the Cross
Translation: Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD (ICS Publications)
Systematic teaching on active purification and detachment. Challenging but essential. Read slowly, perhaps one chapter at a time.
"Fire Within" - Thomas Dubay, S.M.
Excellent synthesis of Teresa and John's teaching in accessible contemporary language. A superb companion to reading the primary sources.
Advanced Level
"Dark Night of the Soul" - John of the Cross
Translation: Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD (ICS Publications)
Profound teaching on passive purification. Best read when actually experiencing dryness or darkness in prayer, with a spiritual director.
"The Living Flame of Love" - John of the Cross
Translation: Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD (ICS Publications)
John's most ecstatic work on transforming union. Written from the summit of the mystical life. Read as inspiration, not as technique.
"The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross"
ICS Publications, Kavanaugh & Rodriguez translation
The complete works including his magnificent poetry. A lifetime's study. The ICS edition has excellent introductions and notes.
Ignatian Tradition Reading List
The Ignatian tradition emphasizes finding God in all things through discernment, imaginative prayer, and active engagement with the world. The Spiritual Exercises remain the foundational text, best encountered through an actual retreat.
Beginner Level
"A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer" - Jim Manney
The best introduction to the Daily Examen. Clear, practical, and immediately usable. Start your Ignatian journey here.
"The Ignatian Adventure" - Kevin O'Brien, SJ
A modern guide to the Spiritual Exercises adaptable for daily life. Accessible introduction to Ignatian prayer methods.
"God Finds Us: An Experience of the Spiritual Exercises" - Jim Manney
Brief, readable overview of the four weeks of the Exercises. Good preparation before making the Exercises themselves.
Intermediate Level
"The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius" - Ignatius of Loyola
Translation: Louis Puhl, SJ or George Ganss, SJ
The primary source. Not meant to be read cover-to-cover but used with a director. Study it to understand Ignatian spirituality deeply.
"The Discernment of Spirits" - Timothy Gallagher, OMV
Excellent commentary on Ignatius's rules for discernment. Essential for understanding consolation and desolation. Very practical.
"Draw Me Into Your Friendship" - David L. Fleming, SJ
A literal translation and contemporary reading of the Exercises side by side. Helpful for study and personal adaptation.
Advanced Level
"The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola"
Translation: Joseph O'Callaghan or Parmananda Divarkar, SJ
Ignatius's own account of his conversion and spiritual development. Illuminates the experiential source of the Exercises.
"Understanding the Spiritual Exercises" - Michael Ivens, SJ
A text-by-text commentary on the Exercises. Scholarly but accessible. Essential for directors and serious students.
"The Spiritual Journal of St. Ignatius Loyola"
Ignatius's private notes on his mystical experiences. Glimpses the depths behind his teaching. For advanced students of Ignatian spirituality.
Hesychast (Orthodox) Tradition Reading List
The Hesychast tradition centers on the Jesus Prayer, the Philokalia, and the pursuit of divine stillness (hesychia). These texts emerged from desert monasticism and have been preserved primarily in the Orthodox Church.
Beginner Level
"The Way of a Pilgrim"
Translation: R.M. French (classic) or Olga Savin (modern)
A 19th-century Russian classic about learning the Jesus Prayer. Narrative form makes it highly accessible. Perfect introduction to Hesychasm.
"Beginning to Pray" - Anthony Bloom
Metropolitan Anthony's classic introduction to Orthodox prayer. Brief, profound, and immensely practical. Widely beloved across denominations.
"The Jesus Prayer" - Frederica Mathewes-Green
A warm, accessible introduction to the Jesus Prayer from a Western convert to Orthodoxy. Good for those approaching from other traditions.
Intermediate Level
"On the Prayer of Jesus" - Ignatius Brianchaninov
A 19th-century Russian bishop's teaching on the Jesus Prayer. More systematic than The Way of a Pilgrim. Includes warnings about dangers.
"The Sayings of the Desert Fathers"
Translation: Benedicta Ward (Cistercian Publications)
Alphabetical collection of wisdom from the 4th-century desert. Brief, pithy sayings for meditation. Foundational for all contemplative traditions.
"The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology"
Compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo
Selections from the Philokalia and other sources arranged thematically. More accessible than the full Philokalia. Excellent intermediate text.
Advanced Level
"The Philokalia" (5 volumes)
Translation: G.E.H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, Kallistos Ware (Faber & Faber) - the authoritative English edition
The great anthology of Orthodox spiritual texts from the 4th-15th centuries. Best approached with guidance. A lifetime's study. Start with Vol. 1.
"The Triads" - Gregory Palamas
Translation: Nicholas Gendle (Paulist Press)
Palamas's defense of Hesychast practice and theology. Dense but essential for understanding the theological foundations.
"The Ladder of Divine Ascent" - John Climacus
Translation: Colm Luibheid (Paulist Press)
7th-century monastic classic on the stages of spiritual ascent. 30 rungs from renunciation to divine love. Still read annually in Orthodox monasteries.
Cross-Tradition Classics
Some works transcend specific traditions and speak to the contemplative journey universally. These are treasures for any serious seeker.
"The Cloud of Unknowing"
Translation: William Johnston or Carmen Acevedo Butcher
14th-century English mystical classic on apophatic prayer. Source for modern Centering Prayer. Brief, challenging, and beautiful.
"Revelations of Divine Love" - Julian of Norwich
Translation: Elizabeth Spearing (Penguin) or Barry Windeatt
First book written by a woman in English. Profound visions of Christ's love. "All shall be well" comes from this work.
"The Imitation of Christ" - Thomas a Kempis
Translation: Any classic edition (widely available)
Most widely read devotional book after the Bible. Practical wisdom on the interior life. Best read in small portions.
"Confessions" - Augustine of Hippo
Translation: Maria Boulding (Vintage) or Sarah Ruden (Modern Library)
The first autobiography and a profound prayer. Augustine's journey to God remains moving and relevant. Foundational for Western spirituality.
"Introduction to the Devout Life" - Francis de Sales
Translation: John K. Ryan (Image)
Written for laypeople living in the world. Remarkably practical and gentle. Shows how anyone can live a deep spiritual life.
Contemporary Guides
Modern authors who make the contemplative tradition accessible while remaining faithful to its depths.
Thomas Merton
New Seeds of Contemplation, Contemplative Prayer - A Trappist monk who brought contemplation to modern readers.
Henri Nouwen
The Way of the Heart, Making All Things New - Accessible reflections on prayer and the spiritual life.
Thomas Keating
Open Mind, Open Heart, Invitation to Love - Father of Centering Prayer. Read with discernment regarding method.
Ruth Burrows
Guidelines for Mystical Prayer, Essence of Prayer - A Carmelite nun writing clearly on contemplative prayer.
Eugene Peterson
Answering God, Working the Angles - Protestant voice bringing contemplative wisdom to evangelical readers.
Tito Colliander
Way of the Ascetics - Brief Orthodox classic on the spiritual life. Clear, practical, and timeless.
Guidance on Translations and Editions
Translation Matters
- For Carmelite texts: ICS Publications (Institute of Carmelite Studies) translations by Kavanaugh & Rodriguez are the scholarly standard
- For the Philokalia: The Faber & Faber translation by Palmer, Sherrard, and Ware is definitive. Avoid abridged versions that lose important context
- For Desert Fathers: Benedicta Ward's translations (Cistercian Publications) are excellent. The Alphabetical Collection is most accessible
- For Ignatian texts: Multiple good translations exist. Puhl is the classic; Ganss is more modern and annotated
- For medieval mystics: Newer translations often improve on Victorian versions. Check copyright dates
Where to Find These Books
- ICS Publications - Carmelite texts (icspublications.org)
- Cistercian Publications - Monastic classics (cistercianpublications.org)
- Paulist Press - Classics of Western Spirituality series
- St. Vladimir's Seminary Press - Orthodox texts
- Loyola Press - Ignatian spirituality
- Christian Classics Ethereal Library - Many free public domain texts (ccel.org)
Building Your Personal Library
Starter Collection (5 books)
- The Way of a Pilgrim
- The Practice of the Presence of God
- The Way of Perfection (Teresa)
- Beginning to Pray (Bloom)
- The Cloud of Unknowing
Growing Collection (Add These 5)
- The Interior Castle (Teresa)
- Sayings of the Desert Fathers
- Spiritual Exercises (Ignatius)
- New Seeds of Contemplation (Merton)
- Revelations of Divine Love (Julian)
A Word of Wisdom
It's better to read one book of genuine spiritual depth five times than to read five books once. Let your reading lead you into prayer. When something strikes you, stop reading and pray. The goal is not to finish books but to be transformed by them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start if I'm completely new?
Begin with "The Way of a Pilgrim" for Hesychasm, "The Practice of the Presence of God" for Carmelite simplicity, or "A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer" for Ignatian prayer. These are all short, accessible, and immediately practical. Pick one that matches your current interest.
Should I focus on one tradition or read across traditions?
Start by going deep in one tradition until you have a solid foundation. This usually means 1-2 years of focused reading and practice. Once rooted, exploring other traditions enriches without confusing. Jumping around too early can lead to superficiality.
How do I know if a translation is good?
Look for translations from respected academic or monastic publishers. Check publication date - newer translations often benefit from better scholarship. Read introductions - good translations have substantial scholarly apparatus. Ask your spiritual director or experienced practitioners in the tradition.
How fast should I read spiritual texts?
Very slowly. A paragraph or two might be enough for a day's meditation. The practice of Lectio Divina - reading, meditating, praying, contemplating - shows how spiritual reading differs from information gathering. Speed is the enemy of depth.
Are there books I should avoid?
Be cautious with authors who syncretize without discernment, promise quick spiritual advances, lack clear ecclesial connection, or dismiss traditional safeguards. Good spiritual authors point beyond themselves to Christ and the wisdom of the Church. When in doubt, consult a spiritual director.
Related Articles
Finding a Retreat Center
How to find and choose a retreat center for deeper contemplative experience.
Lectio Divina
The ancient practice of prayerful Scripture reading that transforms spiritual texts.
The Philokalia
Deep dive into the great Orthodox anthology of spiritual texts.
The Interior Castle
Teresa of Avila's masterpiece on the seven dwelling places of the soul.