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Understanding "Our Father": Biblical Reflections on the Lord's Prayer
Scott Hahn's newest book, Understanding "Our Father", blends Hahn's own scriptural insights on the Lord's Prayer wirh the thoughts of four great Church Fathers.
146 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2002
58 people are currently reading
540 people want to read
About the author
Scott Hahn
415 books1,326 followersScott Hahn is a renowned Catholic theologian, apologist, speaker, and bestselling author whose work has had a profound impact on contemporary biblical theology and Catholic thought. A former Presbyterian minister, Hahn converted to Catholicism in 1986 after an intense personal and theological journey, which he details in his popular book Rome Sweet Home, co-written with his wife, Kimberly Hahn. Their story of conversion has inspired countless readers around the world and remains a landmark in modern Catholic apologetics.
Hahn holds the Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. He is also the founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biblical literacy among the laity and biblical fluency among clergy. Through the Center, Hahn leads a wide range of initiatives, including publications, pilgrimages, Bible studies, and the scholarly journal Letter and Spirit.
Educated at Grove City College (B.A.), Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Marquette University (Ph.D. in Systematic Theology), Hahn brings a deep academic foundation to his work. His dissertation, Kinship by Covenant, was later published by Yale University Press and received praise for its theological insight and scholarly rigor.
Throughout his career, Hahn has emphasized the covenant as the key to understanding salvation history, showing how the biblical narrative reveals a divine plan that unites all of humanity into God's family. His works explore themes such as the Eucharist, the role of Mary, the sacraments, and the authority of the Church, often drawing on the writings of the early Church Fathers to bridge the ancient faith with modern understanding.
He is the author or editor of over forty books, including The Lamb’s Supper, Hail, Holy Queen, First Comes Love, Letter and Spirit, Swear to God, Reasons to Believe, The Creed, The Fourth Cup, and Holy Is His Name. Many of his books have become staples in Catholic households, study groups, and seminaries.
In addition to his writing, Hahn is a highly sought-after speaker, having delivered thousands of lectures across the United States and abroad. He appears regularly on EWTN and has collaborated with Lighthouse Catholic Media to bring his teachings to an even broader audience.
Scott Hahn lives in Ohio with his wife Kimberly. They have six children and numerous grandchildren. Together, the Hahns continue to lead efforts in evangelization and Catholic education, embodying a lifelong commitment to deepening faith and understanding through Scripture and tradition.
Hahn holds the Father Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. He is also the founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biblical literacy among the laity and biblical fluency among clergy. Through the Center, Hahn leads a wide range of initiatives, including publications, pilgrimages, Bible studies, and the scholarly journal Letter and Spirit.
Educated at Grove City College (B.A.), Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Marquette University (Ph.D. in Systematic Theology), Hahn brings a deep academic foundation to his work. His dissertation, Kinship by Covenant, was later published by Yale University Press and received praise for its theological insight and scholarly rigor.
Throughout his career, Hahn has emphasized the covenant as the key to understanding salvation history, showing how the biblical narrative reveals a divine plan that unites all of humanity into God's family. His works explore themes such as the Eucharist, the role of Mary, the sacraments, and the authority of the Church, often drawing on the writings of the early Church Fathers to bridge the ancient faith with modern understanding.
He is the author or editor of over forty books, including The Lamb’s Supper, Hail, Holy Queen, First Comes Love, Letter and Spirit, Swear to God, Reasons to Believe, The Creed, The Fourth Cup, and Holy Is His Name. Many of his books have become staples in Catholic households, study groups, and seminaries.
In addition to his writing, Hahn is a highly sought-after speaker, having delivered thousands of lectures across the United States and abroad. He appears regularly on EWTN and has collaborated with Lighthouse Catholic Media to bring his teachings to an even broader audience.
Scott Hahn lives in Ohio with his wife Kimberly. They have six children and numerous grandchildren. Together, the Hahns continue to lead efforts in evangelization and Catholic education, embodying a lifelong commitment to deepening faith and understanding through Scripture and tradition.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 3, 2023
A good selection of Church Fathers with a relatively long and not all that useful introduction from the listed author. Scott Hahn's summary, in comparison to what followed, was quite superficial and contributed little except perhaps as a foretaste of the "real thing" that follows with St. Cyprian, St. Augustine, etc.
Hahn still has some Presbyterian priors that shine through his writing... and, from certain passages and footnotes, one could come to the conclusion that the author believes in a kind of "dual covenant theology" (which the selected Church Fathers would certainly reject).
Overall a good, short anthology of writing of the Church Fathers on the "Our Father" prayer with a relatively superficial and skippable introduction.
Hahn still has some Presbyterian priors that shine through his writing... and, from certain passages and footnotes, one could come to the conclusion that the author believes in a kind of "dual covenant theology" (which the selected Church Fathers would certainly reject).
Overall a good, short anthology of writing of the Church Fathers on the "Our Father" prayer with a relatively superficial and skippable introduction.
November 11, 2023
Definitely a solid book to help you dive deeper into the Our Father. Scott Hahn lays everything out clearly. Just be aware—his source excerpts at the end are NOT light reading. Worth it, but not light.
December 31, 2014
Scott Hahn is always an interesting read. He is a thoughtful and insightful author on topics of religion. This book does not disappoint.
There is no prayer in all of Christendom more revered, and more likely to be committed to memory and to be prayed as a communal prayer, than that prayer commonly known as the "Our Father." If one studies the histories and origins of prayers, it is at once seen that they are named by the opening words of the prayer. In this instance, of course, there is another name for this prayer as well. It is referred to as the "Lord's Prayer," because it was taught to the apostles, and through holy scripture, to us today, by the Lord, Jesus, himself.
Jesus spent his earthly ministry by preaching and teaching, primarily through the vehicle of parables. He was a master story teller. He had a command of language that would make any author jealous. His parables can be understood on many different levels. This is, of course, amply demonstrated by the apostles, those who lived with Him most closely, who dealt with Him on a daily basis, and heard Him speak in terms far beyond those publicly reported in Gospels, when they ask Jesus to explain a parable He has just taught. Just as those parables may be understood on many levels, and the language simultaneously hides and reveals things, so too this most famous prayer.
Scott Hahn is, of course, a noted scholar, with his formal education culminating in a doctorate in biblical theology, as well as having published numerous books and his personal engagement in educating others in multiple forums. His insights are consistently interesting and enlightening. Even at this, however, his perspectives are still his own, and he realizes it.
His thoughts and insights into the meaning and expression of this great prayer are edifying and welcome. One of the truly great values in this book, however, is that he does not egotistically present his perspective as definitive and exclusive. Rather, he also shares with his readers the excerpts from the teachings of four early Church Fathers. I.e., Sts. Cyprian, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, and Augustine.
The division of this prayer into its various petitions, and the analysis of such petitions, could not be better presented in a classroom. Scott Hahn is consistently interesting in his presentation. The real value in this book, however, is in the ability to contemporaneously review and compare the perspectives of the Early Fathers on this same topic. It demonstrates the depth of meaning and the multiple levels in this tremendous prayer.
One can never know too much, because one can never know enough, about the full meaning of scriptures, and all of their teachings.
There is no prayer in all of Christendom more revered, and more likely to be committed to memory and to be prayed as a communal prayer, than that prayer commonly known as the "Our Father." If one studies the histories and origins of prayers, it is at once seen that they are named by the opening words of the prayer. In this instance, of course, there is another name for this prayer as well. It is referred to as the "Lord's Prayer," because it was taught to the apostles, and through holy scripture, to us today, by the Lord, Jesus, himself.
Jesus spent his earthly ministry by preaching and teaching, primarily through the vehicle of parables. He was a master story teller. He had a command of language that would make any author jealous. His parables can be understood on many different levels. This is, of course, amply demonstrated by the apostles, those who lived with Him most closely, who dealt with Him on a daily basis, and heard Him speak in terms far beyond those publicly reported in Gospels, when they ask Jesus to explain a parable He has just taught. Just as those parables may be understood on many levels, and the language simultaneously hides and reveals things, so too this most famous prayer.
Scott Hahn is, of course, a noted scholar, with his formal education culminating in a doctorate in biblical theology, as well as having published numerous books and his personal engagement in educating others in multiple forums. His insights are consistently interesting and enlightening. Even at this, however, his perspectives are still his own, and he realizes it.
His thoughts and insights into the meaning and expression of this great prayer are edifying and welcome. One of the truly great values in this book, however, is that he does not egotistically present his perspective as definitive and exclusive. Rather, he also shares with his readers the excerpts from the teachings of four early Church Fathers. I.e., Sts. Cyprian, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, and Augustine.
The division of this prayer into its various petitions, and the analysis of such petitions, could not be better presented in a classroom. Scott Hahn is consistently interesting in his presentation. The real value in this book, however, is in the ability to contemporaneously review and compare the perspectives of the Early Fathers on this same topic. It demonstrates the depth of meaning and the multiple levels in this tremendous prayer.
One can never know too much, because one can never know enough, about the full meaning of scriptures, and all of their teachings.
February 1, 2018
Nice, short reflection on the famous prayer. Hahn includes not only his own thoughts but also a few essays from the early Church fathers.
January 16, 2016
I very much enjoyed this book but I did not give it 5 stars. I would have if it had stopped with Scott Hahn's discourse on the "Our Father". However, Hahn adds four chapters at the end of the book from various saints that I felt were a bit long winded and at times confusing. Don't get me wrong. They made for some interesting reading, but they did not always agree with each other on what each of the seven petitions of the Our Father meant. Perhaps Hahn intended to show differing viewpoints from them, but to me it would have been more effective to include discourses from people who reinforced his own points that he made in Part 1 of the book.
In any case, it was still a four star read, and I will no doubt read it again, probably more than once. I am a fan of Scott Hahn's writings because he takes subjects that I am interested in and opens up the scriptures and sacred Tradition to explain them in ways that I never considered before, and he does while be very clear and concise. I wouldn't mind sitting in on his Theology and Bible classes at Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH).
In any case, it was still a four star read, and I will no doubt read it again, probably more than once. I am a fan of Scott Hahn's writings because he takes subjects that I am interested in and opens up the scriptures and sacred Tradition to explain them in ways that I never considered before, and he does while be very clear and concise. I wouldn't mind sitting in on his Theology and Bible classes at Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH).
December 2, 2013
****I won this through First Reads Giveaways****
I found parts of this book to be a bit... obvious. But there were other parts that were actually really interesting, and I enjoyed reading those parts.
It DID take me a while to get through it because some of the language is a bit dragging. Overall, though, it was definitely worth the time to read it.
I found parts of this book to be a bit... obvious. But there were other parts that were actually really interesting, and I enjoyed reading those parts.
It DID take me a while to get through it because some of the language is a bit dragging. Overall, though, it was definitely worth the time to read it.
October 17, 2013
I'll probably need to review this one again at a slower pace... So much to remember, but I'm sure if I took a more focused, note-based approach I would get more out of it. Needless to say, this book decodes the genius of the prayer born from Jesus' own lips. There are a multitude of meanings packed into each separate petition.
July 10, 2018
Professor Hahn does a wonderful job of detailing the verses of the Lord's Prayer in this compact, to the point book. The first half of the book takes each verse and goes into the truths behind what we are praying for, while the second half contains extracts from sveral Saints with their take on the prayer as well. Excellently written with much knowledge.
January 25, 2016
As a typical cradle Roman Catholic, there is so much I take for granted it. Thank you, Dr. Hahn for helping me slow down enough to look closely to the first prayer I ever learned. I finally "know" why I find the Our Father so comforting but most important praying it now has this new level of meaning and understanding.
March 20, 2012
This book might be helpful and meditative for some, but it didn't really help me see the Our Father in any new way. The second part of the book, dealing with excerpts from some of the Church Fathers, was more helpful.
January 25, 2016
It gives meaning behind the words of The Our Father It is explained both simply and through the bible and the Gospels When I pray Our Father i know or should know what it means , plus it gives some good understanding to Gods plan. I highly recommend this book to all
July 16, 2012
Good insights from Scott Hahn and the Church Fathers.
February 16, 2021
This is a good little study going through the Our Father line by line. I especially appreciated the homilies at the end from St Cyprian, St Cyril of Jerusalem, St John Chrysostom, and St Augustine.
January 5, 2023
Depending on who you talk to Scott Hahn is either a hero or a turncoat. He was raised Presbyterian, and was even on the fast track to be a president at a Presbyterian seminary when he began to doubt two protestant main stays: ‘by scripture alone’ and ‘by faith alone’. So he did what any academically trained person would do, he decided to research and went back to school to do a masters in Roman Catholic thought, eventually converting to Catholicism. Since then he has been a prolific writer and speaker on things Catholic, and why the catholic faith is the one true valid faith.
This book is part academic treatise and part faith discovery. The book will lead you through each of the different petitions in the Lord’s Prayer, both in historical perspective and in reflection for what it should mean for us today. The sections are:
Part 1 Contemporary Reflections by Scott Hahn
0. Introduction
1. Our Father
2. Our Father … In Heaven
3. Hallowed Be Thy Name
4. Thy Kingdom Come
5. Thy Will Be Done
6. On Earth As It Is In Heaven
7. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
8. Forgive Us … As We Forgive
9. Lead Us Not Into Temptation
10. Temptation Part II
11. Deliver Us from Evil
12. The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory
13. Last Words
Part 2 Wisdom From The Fathers Of The Church
14. Saint Cyprian: Treatise on the Lord’s Prayer
15. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem: Mystagogic Cathechesis
16. Saint John Chrysostom: Homily XIX on the Gospel of Matthew
17. Saint Augustine: Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount
Hahn open’s up this prayer in ways you could never imagine. I have been serious about being a Christian for nearly 20 years and this little book helped me to see this prayer in a whole new light.
“Why Bother?
Still, it’s fair to ask, Why Bother to pray, ‘Thy will be done’? Isn’t it presumptuous, or even redundant? Isn’t God’s will what happens anyway? Why pray for God’s will? It Seems like praying for gravity to continue.
The answer is simple. When we pray. ‘Thy will be done,’ we do not change or strengthen the will of God, but we do change and strengthen ourselves. Such prayer disposes our hearts to de the will of the Father.” p31,32
Hahn goes on to say later: “Often, it seems that people pray in order to change God’s mind. But God is eternal, perfect, unchanging, and unchangeable. We pray so that God can change our minds.” p74 what would our lives be like is we truly prayed for the fathers will to be done. Later Hahn states: “First in importance is the centrality of divine fatherhood and our share – our real participation – in Christ’s divine sonship.
Next, notice how the Fathers insist that our goal is virtue, and not mere learning.” p75 That is why the second part of the book goes into the writings of the church fathers. To show us that intellectual understanding is not enough, it must impact our hearts and move us to action and a deeper relationship with God. This book will help you move from your head to your heart, but it will feed both mind and spirit.
This book is part academic treatise and part faith discovery. The book will lead you through each of the different petitions in the Lord’s Prayer, both in historical perspective and in reflection for what it should mean for us today. The sections are:
Part 1 Contemporary Reflections by Scott Hahn
0. Introduction
1. Our Father
2. Our Father … In Heaven
3. Hallowed Be Thy Name
4. Thy Kingdom Come
5. Thy Will Be Done
6. On Earth As It Is In Heaven
7. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
8. Forgive Us … As We Forgive
9. Lead Us Not Into Temptation
10. Temptation Part II
11. Deliver Us from Evil
12. The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory
13. Last Words
Part 2 Wisdom From The Fathers Of The Church
14. Saint Cyprian: Treatise on the Lord’s Prayer
15. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem: Mystagogic Cathechesis
16. Saint John Chrysostom: Homily XIX on the Gospel of Matthew
17. Saint Augustine: Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount
Hahn open’s up this prayer in ways you could never imagine. I have been serious about being a Christian for nearly 20 years and this little book helped me to see this prayer in a whole new light.
“Why Bother?
Still, it’s fair to ask, Why Bother to pray, ‘Thy will be done’? Isn’t it presumptuous, or even redundant? Isn’t God’s will what happens anyway? Why pray for God’s will? It Seems like praying for gravity to continue.
The answer is simple. When we pray. ‘Thy will be done,’ we do not change or strengthen the will of God, but we do change and strengthen ourselves. Such prayer disposes our hearts to de the will of the Father.” p31,32
Hahn goes on to say later: “Often, it seems that people pray in order to change God’s mind. But God is eternal, perfect, unchanging, and unchangeable. We pray so that God can change our minds.” p74 what would our lives be like is we truly prayed for the fathers will to be done. Later Hahn states: “First in importance is the centrality of divine fatherhood and our share – our real participation – in Christ’s divine sonship.
Next, notice how the Fathers insist that our goal is virtue, and not mere learning.” p75 That is why the second part of the book goes into the writings of the church fathers. To show us that intellectual understanding is not enough, it must impact our hearts and move us to action and a deeper relationship with God. This book will help you move from your head to your heart, but it will feed both mind and spirit.
August 29, 2025
Excellent exegesis of the Lord's pPrayer!
In this tome, author Scott Hahn Dissects the 7 petitions of the greatest prayer ever given to humanity the greatest prayer ever given to humanity. He patiently and clearly deciphers each petition, Taking the reader to a deeper level of each. Ⅱ part of the book includes writings from the Church Fathers on this, the most excellent of prayers.
In this tome, author Scott Hahn Dissects the 7 petitions of the greatest prayer ever given to humanity the greatest prayer ever given to humanity. He patiently and clearly deciphers each petition, Taking the reader to a deeper level of each. Ⅱ part of the book includes writings from the Church Fathers on this, the most excellent of prayers.
February 23, 2022
Clear description with biblical explanations
March 4, 2023
Excelente livro, com reflexões que nunca tinha visto. Recomendo ler “O Amor Vem Primeiro” (do mesmo autor) antes, porque ele usa algumas reflexões deste outro livro
December 12, 2025
Finally finished this after like 7 months! lol
The piece by Scott Hahn was great! But all of the other prophets after?! That took me forever!
The piece by Scott Hahn was great! But all of the other prophets after?! That took me forever!
April 5, 2017
I went into this interested but expecting some pretty dry writing of a documentary style tome. I was pleasantly surprised. While very informative, it was never dull. The insight provided was totally enlightening and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews