“This is an expansive and impressive feat of academic scholarship by a theologian who attempts to ‘rescue prayer from the neglect and antipathy it has endured in much modern culture’ while rediscovering ‘the wonder of thought beyond conceptual idolatry’.” —Worship

“To the reader’s delight, the book is beautifully written. . . an impressive achievement in the sweeping range and sophistication of its scholarship, communicated in flourishing style. . . . Readers who take Prevot’s tour of modernity will be grateful for the journey and eager for future opportunities for travel with this author as their guide.” —Scottish Journal of Theology

“Throughout, the book uncovers the contemplative dimensions of postmodern phenomenology and liberation theology and suggests how prayer shapes liberative ways of thinking (theology) and living (spirituality) that are crucial for the future of this crisis-ridden world.” —Studies in Spirituality

"Thinking Prayer is a passionate manifesto. Through subtle, discriminating readings of an impressive range of contemporary philosophers and theologians, Andrew Prevot argues that the practice of Christian prayer can point us beyond the intellectual and moral crises of modernity. At the same time, he moves forward Christian theological discussion with a new exuberance and rigor." —Philip Endean, S.J., author of Karl Rahner and Ignatian Spirituality

“With clarity, breadth, and depth, Andrew Prevot reintroduces the subject of prayer within theology as the quest for a synthesis of prayer with thought. It is unusual for a scholar to dare—and to have the intellectual patience needed—to bring Hans Urs von Balthasar on doxology and his postmetaphysical interlocutors into nuanced engagement with German political theology, with Latin American liberation theology, and above all, and to the greatest effect, with the heritage of the narratives and music of African American slaves as honored and interrogated by black theologian James Cone. Prevot proposes that prayer, thought in terms of doxology and liberation, can provide an effective protest against secularity and violence. This is an unusually good book that should be widely read and discussed.” —Bradford Hinze, Karl Rahner, S.J., Chair in Theology, Fordham University

"This ambitious and ultimately successful book will fundamentally change how theologians understand prayer. Prevot handles the most complex philosophical and theological figures with skill, from Heidegger to Balthasar, from Cone to Marion. Writing about prayer tends to be fluffy or dismissive, but Prevot manages to be both rigorous and graceful. As the title advertises, this book brings together thought and prayer—lucidly, powerfully, and elegantly. It is a must-read for all theologians thinking and praying today." —Vincent Lloyd, Syracuse University

"Drawing on an impressive range of theological and philosophical sources, Andrew Prevot argues for the indispensability of prayer to both Christian theology and social praxis. He insists that, more specifically, Christian theology and social praxis must be rooted in the 'spirituality that emerges from the prayerful struggles of many Christian communities of the poor and oppressed.' Such a preferential option for the poor itself demands a reintegration of theology and spirituality. The sustained intellectual rigor, spiritual depth, and prophetic courage of this scholarship will no doubt establish Prevot as a leading voice among a new generation of Christian theologians." —Roberto Goizueta, Margaret O'Brien Flatley Professor of Catholic Theology, Boston College

"Andrew Prevot presents a range of theological and philosophical interlocutors with a depth of scholarly knowledge that makes the reading of these pages an engaging tour of the last eighty years of theological and philosophical thought. There is insightful analysis of the text's announced focus on prayer, a theme that is usually addressed in popular books on practical theology but rarely in a sophisticated monograph like the present work. The impressive achievement of Thinking Prayer is the sweeping range of its scholarship, presented in interpretive sophistication and communicated in flourishing style." —John Thiel, author of Icons of Hope: The "Last Things" in Catholic Imagination

Andrew Prevot is assistant professor of theology at Boston College.

Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Untold Promise of Prayer

Part 1. From Metaphysics to Doxology

1. Doxological Impurity: Martin Heidegger

2. Doxological Theory: Hans Urs von Balthasar

3. Doxological Subtlety: On the Intersections of Prayer and Phenomenology

Part 2. Spirituality in a World of Violence

4. Poverty of Spirit: Johann Baptist Metz

5. Discernment of Spirits: On the Integrity of Doxology and Liberation

6. Songs of the Spirit: James Cone

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index