Prayer - Paperback

by Hans Urs Von Balthasar (Author)

This is perhaps the best and most comprehensive book on prayer ever written. From the persons of the Trinity through the Incarnation to the Church and the very structure of the human person, this book is a powerful synthesis of what prayer is and how to pray. The testament of a great theologian on something which is most personal and interior, contemplative prayer.

"This is a book that changes, not only your mind, but your life. It lays out, in language both theologically precise and spiritually vivid, what it is like to enter into a relationship with the three persons of the Trinity. One of its major emphases is how authentic Christian prayer is always conducted in and through the words given to us by God himself in the Scriptures, so that our speech to God always mirrors and mimics God speech to us. This single volume also functions as a remarkably good introduction to Balthasar's architectonic thought as a whole."
- Fr. Robert Barron, Author & Host of Catholicism

In this modern classic, von Balthasar illumines the nature and practice of contemplative prayer in explicit and vital connection with the mysteries of Christian revelation. His extraordinary flair for drawing spiritual implications from the most profound theological insights is brilliantly displayed on so many of its pages. This is a book on prayer that stimulates our yearning for God as it points us toward ever-deepening and authentic encounters with Him.
- Margaret M. Turek, S.T.D., Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, St. Patrick's Seminary and University

Author Biography

Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) was a Swiss theologian widely regarded as one of the greatest theologians and spiritual writers of modern times. Named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II, he died shortly before being formally inducted into the College of Cardinals. He wrote over one hundred books, including Prayer, Heart of the World, Mary for Today, Love Alone Is Credible, Mysterium Paschale and his major multi-volume theological works: The Glory of the Lord, Theo-Drama and Theo-Logic.