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The Speaking that Silence Is: Prayer as Openness to God
Author(s) -
Nelson Derek R.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
dialog
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.114
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1540-6385
pISSN - 0012-2033
DOI - 10.1111/dial.12069
Subject(s) - prayer , silence , confusion , theology , openness to experience , psychology , philosophy , confession (law) , social psychology , psychoanalysis , law , aesthetics , political science
Prayer exists as the dialectic between speaking and falling silent that presupposes, assumes and furthers the openness of the whole self to God. Prayer as speaking comprises thanksgiving, confession, petition, and instruction. Instruction includes a Torah‐like understanding of God's word as law, following Martin Luther. Prayer as silence includes the silence of confusion, the silence of expectation, and the silence of submission, following Søren Kierkegaard.