Prayer: A Guide for the Perplexed - (Guides for the Perplexed) Annotated by Ashley Cocksworth (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Central to the Christian life is the practice of prayer. But what, theologically speaking, is going on when we pray? What does prayer have to do with religious belief and action? Does prayer make a difference? Prayer: A Guide for the Perplexed addresses these and other key questions regarding the Christian theology of prayer.

Beginning with Evagrius of Ponticus's 'On Prayer', Ashley Cocksworth finds in this early document a profound expression of the 'integrity' of the experience of prayer and theological thought. Seeking throughout to integrate systematic theology and the spirituality of prayer, individual chapters explore the meaning of some of the core doctrines of lived Christian faith - the Trinity, creation, providence, and the Christian life - as they relate to the practice of prayer. Complete with an annotated bibliography of sources on prayer to promote further reading, this volume appeals to academics and general readers alike.

Review Quotes

So many reasons might draw potential readers to this admirable book, but piecemeal commendations would entirely miss the creative power of this deeply perceptive work. Here is a book in which prayer can be seen, and at least in part understood, transforming human minds, lives and social struggles by
drawing them into the mystery of an inexhaustible Communion of life - a book in which we come to see how that Communion has been hidden at work all along, resourcing prayer and communicating a beckoning goodness beyond all bounds
Mark A. Mcintosh, Loyola University, USA

This little book on prayer is one of the very best of its kind, and all the better for its limpid prose, unpretentious learning and accessible style. It probes back to the origins of Christian prayer and its theological base, tracing how its implicitly trinitarian shape was there from the start and has always animated Christian renewal. Along the way the reader will learn afresh of some of the great theorizers of prayer in the Christian tradition; but more importantly, the call to integrate prayer, theology and compassionate practice shines out as the Leitmotif of this remarkable little Guide'.
Sarah Coakley, University Of Cambridge, UK

About the Author

Ashley Cocksworth is Assistant Professor of Theology and Ministry in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Durham University, UK.