Christian contemplative prayer: a grounded theory exploration of well-being and embodiment within Christian spirituality

Christian contemplative prayer (CCP) is a spiritual and religious form of receptive meditation rooted in scriptural teachings and ancient practices. Despite its growing popularity, there is limited empirical evidence related to CCP long-term practitioners’ lived experience. Although scholars suggest CCP influences practitioners’ well-being, the importance of embodiment within this practice is under-theorized. CCP scholarship has primarily investigated: 1) psychotherapy intervention, 2) phenomenological investigation, and 3) well-being related to this prayer practice. This thesis examines the lived experience of long-term CCP practitioners, within their prayer practice. Drawing on participant semi-structured interview data, this thesis utilizes a grounded theory methodology to generate a conceptual framework that integrates CCP practice, well-being, and embodiment. This framework suggests practitioners’ perspective of well-being, as reflected within a self-reported eudaemonic context. It also suggests an integrated aspect of embodiment within this prayer practice related to: Embodied Self, Embodied in Christian Community, Embodied Space, and Embodied in God. Aspects of Christian spirituality including lived experience, conscious process, holistic development, self-transcendence towards God, and uniqueness of individual’s spiritual experience also helped to orient and explore the emergent participant data. The findings further emerged with greater understanding of the diversity found within the actual practice of silent, embodied CCP. Each of these aspects help to develop a substantive grounded theory integrating CCP practice, well-being and embodiment in the lived experience of long-term CCP practitioners.