Award-winning religion journalists describe a recently rediscovered medieval prayer tool that provides fresh inspiration and daily prayers for contemporary Christians.
DAVID VAN BIEMA was head religion writer at TIME from 1999 to 2009,
where he wrote 25 cover stories for the magazine, as well as covers
for Life magazine, People, and the Washington Post. His recent work
has appeared in TIME, the Washington Post, TheAtlantic.com, and the
Religion News Service. He is the author of the book Mother Teresa-
The Life and Works of a Modern Saint.
JANA RIESS is an editor and writer who holds degrees in religion
from Wellesley College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and
Columbia University. She is a senior columnist for Religion News
Service and speaks often to the media about issues pertaining to
religion in America.
PATTON DODD is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in The
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, TheAtlantic.com, CNN.com,
Financial Times, Newsweek, Slate, Christianity Today, The Shambhala
Sun, and more. He has also appeared on a range of television and
radio shows, including Hannity, The Laura Ingraham Show, ESPN
Radio, and NPR.
A brilliant rediscovery. The Prayer Wheel reveals how important
prayer has been in all of history, and how many levels of
understanding it always offers. This is an excellent example of the
endless fruitfulness of healthy religion. Richard Rohr, author of
Falling Upward
This bold recovery of a long-forgotten path to prayer, expertly
situated in its historical context and made accessible for
modern-day believers, makes for absolutely fascinating reading for
the devout and doubtful alike. James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A
Pilgrimage
These days, few books cause me to sit up and take notice. But The
Prayer Wheel hooked me from the first page. In it, three of my
favorite religion journalists unearth a nearly 1000-year-old
spiritual practice and make it applicable to our own day. This book
is a mystical journey with the power to revitalize your prayer
life. Don t miss it! Jonathan Merritt, author of Learning to Speak
God from Scratch; contributing writer for The Atlantic
Reading this book for the first time, I felt the way I felt when
someone first told me about labyrinths I was encountering something
that could carry me both back into the depths of an ancient
practice, and forward to God. Lauren F. Winner, author of Girl
Meets God and Still
I am always looking for ways to engage in prayer more deeply.
Beautifully written and biblically grounded, this book offers
readers a fresh yet ancient way of drawing close to God. Because of
its simplicity and depth, I am sure I will enjoy using it for years
to come.
Ann Spangler, author of Praying the Names of God
This remarkable book isn t just a guide to a long-lost medieval
prayer wheel, but an introduction to a deeper, more fulfilling way
of communicating with God. Ian Morgan Cron, author of The Road Back
to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
Like Benedict in his own day, we are searching for new ways to
connect ancient wisdom with daily life in a rapidly changing world.
In this midst of this transition, Dodd, Riess, and Van Biema offer
a contemporary introduction to an ancient way of prayer. This
prayer wheel may be just the tool to unlock the door to the home
you always knew you needed. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, coauthor of
Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals
If Indiana Jones were interested in Medieval Christian
spirituality, he d have loved The Prayer Wheel! Dodd, Riess, and
Van Biema unlock the mystery of an ancient Christian path to
prayer, then help modern readers apply it for a meaningful
spiritual journey. Adam Hamilton, author of Unafraid: Living with
Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times, and Creed: What Christians
Believe and Why
It s rare these days to be truly surprised by something, especially
something old. Yet that was my experience of reading and engaging
with The Prayer Wheel. For those of us who long to connect to our
forebears in faith and who find too much of the modern world
annoying and shallow, this book is a beautiful, reflective prayer
aid. Tony Jones, author of The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for
Everyday Life
The Prayer Wheel opens a door into the prayer life of Christians
who lived nearly a thousand years ago. Through meditation on brief
but rich phrases of Scripture, we deepen and strengthen our faith.
Frederica Mathewes-Green, author of The Jesus Prayer and Facing
East
How is it possible in our high-tech age that one of the most
interesting new developments I ve come across is a piece of
technology that dates back to the Middle Ages? Whether you re a
prayer veteran or a novice spiritual seeker, The Prayer Wheel
offers a way to approach our conversations wih God that is both
ancient and new. Bill McGarvey, former editor in chief of Busted
Halo
Our medieval Christian ancestors may not have understood growth
economics, but they knew the value of praying in circles with a
prayer wheel, with a rosary, with the weekly and yearly cycles of
the Divine Office. Here is all we have forgotten of the past, and
all we might hope for the future, inscribed in a simple diagram a
cure for the linear, dead-end way of thinking that has brought our
world to a precipice. Clark Strand, author of Waking Up to the
Dark: Ancient Wisdom for a Sleepless Age
The Prayer Wheel brings everything to a stop, giving us a chance to
enter into deep silence and active reflection on the mysteries of
the faith. This book could hardly come at a better time. I m
grateful for this bracing reminder of the creative wisdom of the
past. Kirsten Powers, USA Today columnist and CNN political
analyst
As a prayer prompt, the wheel is divine. Publishers Weekly
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