Is Thoughtless Prayer Really Christian? A Biblical/Evangelical Response to Evagrius of Pontus

Autor:	Evan B. Howard
Rok vydání:	2014
Předmět:	History Philosophy media_common.quotation_subject Religious studies Prayer Education media_common
Zdroj:	Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. 7:118-139
ISSN:	2328-1030 1939-7909
DOI:	10.1177/193979091400700111
Popis:	While many Christians are finding comfort in forms of prayer that emphasize silence, others find concern with just such forms, seeing them as doctrinally unfaithful innovations of early monks. This article, then, investigates one influential early monk, Evagrius of Pontus, regarding thoughtless prayer. The article summarizes Evagrius’ life and monastic practice. It explores Evagrius’ mystical theology in general and particularly his understanding of the roles that (thoughtless) prayer plays in the various stages of development in Christian maturity. The article then develops a biblical and evangelical response to Evagrius’ approach, examining themes of the transcendent greatness of God, silence, and prayer in the Scriptures. Based on these investigations, the article offers three practical suggestions concerning the use of thoughtless prayer for Christians today.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::4827dbedb62a988c81cc86c011854937 https://doi.org/10.1177/193979091400700111 Zobrazit plný text záznamu