BodyPrayer: The Posture of Intimacy with God

Anglican Theological Review, Summer 2006 by Downton, R Keelan

BodyPrayer: The Posture of Intimacy with God. By Doug Pagitt and Kathryn Prill. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Waterbrook, 2005. 150 pp. $15.99 (cloth).

For the uninitiated, BodyPrayer offers a window into the spiritual practices of emerging church communities and some of the theology behind them. The primary purpose of this text, however, is not to inform but to stimulate devotional life. It is in this sense a profoundly practical guide for incorporating the physicality of the human condition into the all-too-often otherworldly emphasis of contemporary spirituality. With thirty different postures and accompanying sample prayers the book lends itself to a month-long devotional cycle.

Designed to be used by groups as well as individuals, it includes several suggestions for use in public worship or to initiate creative or contemplative experiences. Each chapter includes a picture of the posture, an introductory reflection, a short poetic prayer, a description of how the prayer relates to the posture, and blank space for journaling. Each of the prayers has been classified according to one of three categories represented by symbols above the chapter title: meditative prayers (a face looking forward), requesting prayers (a face looking up), and prophetic prayers (a face looking to the side). The book also includes three helpful appendices: a collection of references, an index of prayers by category, and an alphabetical list of the postures.

Although the chapters themselves are both clear and stimulating, some of the broader editorial choices are downright confusing. For instance, it is not clear why the appendix of "Bible References" cites different passages than the "Notes," or why a creed and an ancient Irish prayer are included in the former. Additionally, some prayers use an individual "I" while others use an inclusive "we" without an apparent intent to convey a theological distinction. Finally, although the conceptual categories "meditative," "reflecting," and "prophetic" are interesting, it is sometimes difficult to understand the difference between them, especially since they do not correspond with an intuitive grammatical distinction between "of" and "for." A prayer of refreshment is listed as a request rather than a meditation and a prayer for God's activity in the lives of others is listed as a meditation rather than a request. Among the six prophetic prayers, only one takes the form of an imperative. Readers seeking to apply these categories strictly would benefit from further elaboration or reorganization, but they nevertheless serve as a useful vantage point for thinking about the intent of each prayer.

What readers will really appreciate, however, is the delightful theological nuances hidden within the content and explication of each prayer. A cursory reading might tempt us to assume that prayers for beauty or an end to loneliness reflect an unhealthy preoccupation with an individualistic sense of well-being. More critical appraisal recognizes a deep awareness of the human condition that informs significant theological assertions. For instance, the prayer for beauty is framed in terms of participation in the boundless beauty of God-both as the result of God's creative act and as bearers of God's presence in the world. It thus serves subtly to deconstruct the egocentric aesthetics of the advertisement industry. By comparing forgiveness to breathing, another prayer portrays this grace as both readily accessible and also an ongoing need. It closes by asking for help to extend forgiveness to others with the same fluidity. Readers sensitive to gendered language about God will applaud the predominant use of gender-neutral terms. Those cautions about a tendency towards Christocentric prayers will likewise appreciate infrequent reference to specific members of the Trinity, balanced by the inclusion of the entire Nicene Creed in an appendix.

The final test of any book on prayer is, of course, whether it leads people to pray. And for those willing to get off their pews and experiment, it certainly will.

R. KEELAN DOWNTON

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

Faith and Order Commission

Washington, D.C.