Reconstructing Prayer: Beyond Deconstructing Your Faith
In the West, many Christians are "deconstructing" and/or "doubting" their faith. As a result, some people seeking to follow Jesus have become disillusioned with prayer--perhaps even skeptical about it. And yet there is still a great desire and longing for connection with God. What is needed, then, is a reconstructed account of prayer--one that is theologically robust, pastorally honest, and spiritually wise. Andrew Ray Williams seeks to provide such an account by providing meditations on childlike prayers in hopes that it might open new ways of understanding specific issues related to Christian faith.
“In this delightful book, Williams deconstructs the modern, disenchanted worldview that causes us to view prayer as a mechanistic, means-end practice existing apart from ordinary life. He then reconstructs a vision of prayer as a means of participating in the mysterious and enchanted world of God’s triune life. In this space of presence, we can offer our full selves—doubts, fears, petitions, and praise. Williams reminds us that prayer is a means of becoming aware of where we are and whose we are.”
—Cheryl Bridges Johns, senior professor of discipleship and Christian formation, Pentecostal Theological Seminary
“The prayers of children are simple yet instructive—they show us what it means to follow a good and gracious God through our doubts and fears. Williams’ book takes Matthew 18:3 to heart, demonstrating how a true and honest childlike confession of faith can guide us through the often necessary stages of deconstruction to a more generous reconstructed Christian faith.”
—Steven Félix-Jäger, author of Renewal Worship
“Reading a book on prayer can be a tedious and burdensome experience, like a trip to the dentist. Not so with Andrew Williams Reconstructing Prayer. This is an honest and accessible meditation on the beauty of prayer—not simply prayer as a here-and-there discipline, but prayer as a moment-by-moment way of living the Christian life. As a pastor-theologian, Williams does a marvelous job of conjoining theological substance with practical spirituality, bringing together both mind and heart in a powerful vision of prayerful living. Highly recommended!”
—Todd Wilson, president, Center for Pastor Theologians
“In this delightful book, Williams deconstructs the modern, disenchanted worldview that causes us to view prayer as a mechanistic, means-end practice existing apart from ordinary life. He then reconstructs a vision of prayer as a means of participating in the mysterious and enchanted world of God’s triune life. In this space of presence, we can offer our full selves—doubts, fears, petitions, and praise. Williams reminds us that prayer is a means of becoming aware of where we are and whose we are.”
—Cheryl Bridges Johns, senior professor of discipleship and Christian formation, Pentecostal Theological Seminary
“The prayers of children are simple yet instructive—they show us what it means to follow a good and gracious God through our doubts and fears. Williams’ book takes Matthew 18:3 to heart, demonstrating how a true and honest childlike confession of faith can guide us through the often necessary stages of deconstruction to a more generous reconstructed Christian faith.”
—Steven Félix-Jäger, author of Renewal Worship
“Reading a book on prayer can be a tedious and burdensome experience, like a trip to the dentist. Not so with Andrew Williams Reconstructing Prayer. This is an honest and accessible meditation on the beauty of prayer—not simply prayer as a here-and-there discipline, but prayer as a moment-by-moment way of living the Christian life. As a pastor-theologian, Williams does a marvelous job of conjoining theological substance with practical spirituality, bringing together both mind and heart in a powerful vision of prayerful living. Highly recommended!”
—Todd Wilson, president, Center for Pastor Theologians
- Title: Reconstructing Prayer: Beyond Deconstructing Your Faith
- Authors: Andrew Williams, A. J. Swoboda
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666798692, 9781666798685, 1666798681, 9781666738247, 1666738247, 166679869X
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666798692
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-06-20T23:07:26Z
Andrew Ray Williams is a pastor, professor, and writer living with his wife and three children in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. He has a PhD in theology from Bangor University (Wales) and is the author of such books as Washed in the Spirit: Toward a Pentecostal Theology of Water Baptism and Boundless Love: A Companion to Clark H. Pinnock’s Theology.