George is a semi-retired minister, professor of practical and spiritual theology at Chicago Theological Seminary, and is a clinical psychologist. George helped found the Parliament of the World's religions and with Wayne Teasdale wrote/edited a book about this process.

His current work concerns Celtic spirituality, centering prayer, and their integration into a theology of practical action for healing, justice, and peace.

He has practiced and taught Centering Prayer since 1986. He has taught centering prayer in several unusual settings including a Native American cultural center and a maximum security prison. He has published papers on this work.

George F. Cairns and his wife Nancy have taught an early and little known Christian practice known as "jubilation." This form of sung praise produces a whole chord of sound by an individual.  When practiced in community, sounds appear which no one is making.

He is currently a member of the Forge Guild, an international group which encourages spiritual teachers from different religious traditions to explore one another's practices and Spiritual Directors International. He and Nancy are associates/members of two covenantal Christian communities: The Iona Community based in Scotland, and; the Shalom Community based in Chicago.