See http://www.discerningtheworld....oks-not-recommended/

Scroll down just a little to the list of authors on Centering Prayer, Church Growth, etc.
There I am, with Catherine of Siena, Teilhard de Chardin, Thomas Merton, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila and many others. You'll note a few Doctors of the Church in this listing.

Can't say I feel bad about being among this group.

But the larger question is why anyone would categorically write off so many classical spiritual writers, whose works have been endorsed not only in Catholicism, but are read even by people of other religions? What is the theology behind this? The spirituality?

Another listing:
- http://www.wayoflife.org/datab...asternreligions.html

Again, happy to see that I'm in there with the "Big Boys."

But who are these people? What do they think Christianity is?

I've occasionally come across websites like these before but never ones so extensive. Someone has obviously put a lot of time and effort into researching these lists. I would guess that this is a highly repressive form of spirituality. Tara might put it on step 2, the "obedience" stage, of her ladder.

I contacted both sites and got a response from one of them (the 2nd post), challenging me to prove that his evaluation of my work was wrong. I'll pass on that discussion.

It's a curious thing indeed! Sometimes it's very difficult to affirm a connection with certain branches of Christianity.

Who are these people? Are they Catholics? Hope not. Btw, a lovely "panentheistic" excerpt from Henri Nouwen

“The God who dwells in our inner sanctuary is the same as the one who dwells in the inner sanctuary of each human being” (Here and Now, p. 22).

ok, so God is not present in the soul... I mean, where are we?! What religion is that?

No, check THIS out! This is just hilarious. Especially, John of the Cross believing that mountains and forests are God... please!

In his popular book The Purpose Driven Life, Warren quotes frequently from Catholic authors, including Mother Teresa, Henri Nouwen, Brother Lawrence (Carmelite monk), John Main (Benedictine monk who believes that Christ “is not limited to Jesus of Nazareth, but remains among us in the monastic leaders, the sick, the guest, the poor”), Madame Guyon (a Roman Catholic who taught that prayer does not involve thinking), and John of the Cross (who believed the mountains and forests are God). Mother Teresa and Henri Nouwen, who are quoted at least four times in The Purpose Driven Life, believed that men can be saved apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ. When Mother Teresa died, her longtime friend and biographer Naveen Chawla said that he once asked her bluntly, “Do you convert?” She replied, “Of course I convert. I convert you to be a better Hindu or a better Muslim or a better Protestant. Once you’ve found God, it’s up to you to decide how to worship him” (“Mother Teresa Touched other Faiths,” Associated Press, Sept. 7, 1997). 

Right, Mt. Some pretty silly examples. Note that the list has both John of the Cross and St. John of the Cross. I guess that makes it a little longer.

Sometimes it is difficult to feel a connection with other Christian groups. The author of this site seems to have no denominational affiliation (as they're all wrong, I'd guess). We had a brief exchange that went nowhere.