John Main (1926-1982), an English Benedictine monk, pioneered the practice of Christian meditation. His genius was to recover a way into the contemplative experience for ordinary people within the Christian tradition. Hailed by Bede Griffiths as the "most important spiritual guide in the church today, " Main's work inspired the foundation of the World Community for Christian Meditation and a network of hundreds of meditation groups around the world.

John Main introduces the practice of Christian meditation for modern people who wish to deepen their spiritual lives.

In October 1977, the Scottish Branch of the Royal Institute of International Affairs established a study group to consider the representation of Scottish interests abroad. The members of the group were drawn from the Scottish universities as well as from business and banking in Scotland. The study began with a series of discussion meetings at which the group as a whole was able to draw on the knowledge and experience of, among others, Mr Alick Buchanan-Smith MP; Mr Stanley Budd, Head of the Edinburgh Office of the Commission of the European Communities; Mr J. Allan Stewart, Scottish Secretary...

Promluvy pronesené roku 1976 v kentuckém opatství Gethsemani mají přes svůj stručný rozsah obrovský význam pro dnešní spiritualitu. Benediktin John Main v nich poprvé představuje své pojetí meditační praxe založené na starokřesťanské tradici i postupech vy´chodních náboženství. Nabízí zde cestu, jak se zakoušením Boží přítomnosti posouvat k hlubší víře a větší citlivosti k sobě i světu. Mainova kontemplativní modlitba jako protiklad k uspěchanému, konzumnímu světu, v němž žijeme, už inspirovala statisíce křesťanů.