Honest Prayer

by John Shelby Spong

Book by Spong, John Shelby

Genres: Religion

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

John Shelby Spong was the Episcopal bishop of Newark before his retirement in 2000. As a leading spokesperson for an open, scholarly, and progressive Christianity, Bishop Spong has taught at Harvard and at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has also lectured at universities, conference centers, and churches in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. His books include: A New Christianity for a New World, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Resurrection: Myth or Reality? Why Christianity Must Change or Die, and his autobiography, Here I Stand.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

In one of his earliest books, written while he was still a parish priest in Richmond, Virginia, John Spong examines the meaning and power of prayer, its impact on his daily life, and how we might all gain insight to this religious practice.

As he addresses Jesus's Lord's prayer Spong writes, "My primary purpose is simply to remove some roadblocks, some misapprehensions, some of the barriers to prayer that I believe plague the modern mind, for they have plagued me." A good and inspiring read.

[Joe Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is organized around the model prayer of Jesus. It is relatively short, at 126 pages but contains numerous insights and Spong's faith statements that makes it a worthwhile read.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It provided a way for me to recite the Lord's Prayer in a more intentional, meaningful way. I felt as though I had grown spiritually after finishing this book.