Interreligious Prayer

In the Post-9/11 world where religions of the West and East seem literally hemispheres-if not worlds-apart, Father Thomas Ryan, a Paulist priest, presents a simple primer for prayer between all those of the major faith systems. "We need to develop a new way of looking at the multifaith context in which we live, seeing it as a part of the richness of the God-given reality," writes Fr. Ryan. And he does this here in a wonderful spirit of solidarity and love of God.He offers biblical perspectives on themes such as exclusivism, inclusivism, the dialogue between God and humankind, and hospitality. He then puts forth theological reflections relating to prayer and worship, such as: How do you understand God? What is the basis for your coming together to pray? He considers different forms of interreligious prayer that appear in most religions, and then addresses practical considerations relating to planning prayer: site; day and time; order and content; language, holy writings; symbols and rituals; music and singing; silence and meditation; food and drink. And a useful appendix presents a compilation of prayer resources from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Baha'i and American Indians that might be used in varying kinds of interreligious services. There is practically nothing out there-for pastors, city and state council of church reps, teachers and school officials, retreat centers, and monastics-that answers an evolving need in response to our new situation: a religiously plural society wherein the citizens want to come together on certain occasions and invoke the Divine.