The Art of Public Prayer: Not for Clergy Only

by PhD Hoffman

A resource for worshipers today looking to change hardened worship patterns
that stand in the way of everyday spirituality. All too often, those who attend church or synagogue find themselves bored or baffled by the service. Their predominant thought is how slowly the time ticks by—and that the service never seems to end. Written for laypeople and clergy of any denomination, The Art of Public Prayer examines how and why religious ritual works—and why it often doesn't work. The Art of Public Prayer uses psychology, social science, theology and common sense to explain the key roles played by ritual, symbolism, liturgy and song in services. Each chapter features "conversation points" designed to get you and your faith community thinking and talking about your own worship patterns—where they succeed, and where they need improvement. The Art of Public Prayer can help you and your fellow congregants revitalize your worship service by allowing you to organize and direct your own worship, making it a meaningful and fulfilling part of your life.

Genres: Judaism, Jewish, Religion

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Lisa Feld · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book actually pairs really well with Parker’s The Art of Gathering. Both talk about how and why rituals stop working for people, and how to build or rebuild meaningful communal experiences by understanding how all the component parts function: setting, liturgy, music, the roles different community members play in the life of the community, etc. In the case of actual prayer and ritual, though, there are other nuances Hoffman discusses: sacred space and sacred music are sometimes in conversation with the architecture or music styles of the current culture, but often they’re inherited from a previous generation with different tastes. How do we distinguish between inherited things that have added meaning because of their antiquity and things whose meaning or power has faded as the gulf has widened between their origins and our current culture and values?

I also really appreciated Hoffman’s analysis of synagogue/church politics and some ways to identify and defuse problems. Despite the title, I think this book is at best of academic interest to the average layperson, but I think it’s invaluable for clergy and lay leaders trying to make a meaningful prayer experience for themselves and their communities.

[Emmett · Rating 3 out of 5]

VERY dated anecdotes, says what it needs to in 4x as many words as necessary, and often fails to really emphasize the main point ~ but nevertheless, annoyingly, has some really good ideas.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book about liturgy we read last year. Very user-friendly and useful.

[Jeremy Mccandlish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potent.