Thinking prayer

Book Description

In a world grappling with spiritual uncertainty and social upheaval, Andrew L. Prevot offers a profound exploration of how prayer can serve as both anchor and compass for navigating modern challenges. Thinking Prayer presents an innovative theological framework that positions prayer not as mere ritual, but as a transformative practice capable of addressing the deepest crises of our time.

Prevot weaves together insights from influential thinkers including Martin Heidegger, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Jean-Louis Chrétien, Johann Baptist Metz, Ignacio Ellacuría, and James Cone, creating a rich tapestry that bridges philosophical inquiry with lived spirituality. His work reveals how contemplative and doxological prayer practices can protect against the spiritual pitfalls of nihilism, conceptual idolatry, and the erasure of meaningful difference.

The book illuminates the remarkable power of prayer within oppressed communities, demonstrating how these sacred practices fuel resistance against socioeconomic and racial violence. Rather than retreating from modern critical thinking, Prevot argues that genuine intellectual freedom finds its fullest expression through prayerful engagement with divine mystery.

By uncovering the contemplative dimensions within postmodern phenomenology and liberation theology, this work charts a path forward that honors both rigorous theological reflection and authentic spiritual practice. For readers seeking to understand how ancient wisdom can address contemporary struggles, Prevot offers a compelling vision of prayer as both thought and action, contemplation and liberation.