This is an article written by Father Richard Rohr, OFM, of The Centre for Action and Contemplation, about Eckhart Tolle and the Christian Tradition. I am republishing it here for the benefit of my readers.
by Richard Rohr, OFM
Although Eckhart Tolle is arousing great interest today, many think he is a novelty, New Age, or even non-religious. The process — and that is what it is — that he is teaching, can be traced through the Greek and Latin traditions of contemplation, the apophatic tradition in particular, and the long history of what was sometimes called “The Sacrament of the Present Moment” (Brother Lawrence, OCD, Francisco de Osuna, OFM, Jean Pierre de Caussade, S.J.).
The mystical tradition inside of Orthodoxy and Catholicism often divided contemplation into two types: infused or natural contemplation, and acquired contemplation. Evelyn Underhill, the brilliant historian of mysticism, sees three forms of contemplation: 1. Mystical Contemplation of the Natural World, 2. Metaphysical Contemplation of the World of Being and Consciousness, 3. Theological Contemplation of the World of God.
After the oppositional mind that set in place during and after the Reformation of the 16th century, and after the Enlightenment of the 17th-18th centuries, this ancient tradition was largely lost, except among individuals. We lost the older Tradition of “praying beyond words” as the entire Western and Eastern Churches became quite preoccupied with words and proving words to be true or false. This is the only period that Protestantism and Evangelicals have ever known. So for at least 400 years, we have had neither an understanding of infused nor acquired contemplation! It is such foreign terrain to almost all Protestants, and most Catholics and Orthodox that they immediately think it is heresy or even pagan, when in fact, it is the solid tradition of the first 1400 years of Christianity! (Which I will try to document in my next book, The Third Eye).
Tolle is, in fact, rather brilliantly bringing to our awareness the older tradition of both “infused” or “natural contemplation,” and the two first types in Underhill’s listing. These are both the ground and the process for breaking through to theological contemplation of God, and acquired contemplation of Jesus, the Gospels, and all spiritual things. He is teaching process not doctrine or dogma. He is teaching how to see and be present, not what you should see when you are present. Eckhart Tolle is our friend, and not an enemy of the Gospel. There should be no conflict for a mature Christian. “Anyone who is not against us, is for us,” as Jesus said, and he also said, “Fear profits nothing.”
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Sometimes 
Some people are scared of the word 
To become present is to become free of identification with your mind — your thoughts, emotions and judgments. When you are present, there is no anxiety, negativity or hostility.
