Review: Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer

Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer by Tyler Staton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I admit it. I absolutely chose this book because of its title. Anyone who knows me or have read my reviews will know that that choice was simply inevitable. My enthusiasm for monastic spirituality is clear once you look at my list of books, so no one should be surprised I added this one.

However, this is really is an interesting book. If you're trying to figure out where to place this book, I'd say the starting point is in the context of New Monasticism, that lay movement which started picking up speed in the late 90s and which sought to take the wisdom of monastic communities and apply it to the lives of lay people, whether through creating quasi-monastic communities or just encouraging monastic practices.

The other important connection is with the 24-7 prayer movement and, ultimately, the Moravians, especially the influence of Herrnhut and Count von Zinzendorf in the 18th century. That gives really important context because this book is absolutely a book on prayer, but a highly personal and highly emotional prayer style. And I love the passion and the eagerness to contend with the emotions of prayer and how to make it available to all. Staton weaves his discussion about prayer with his own experience as a pastor, which makes the discussion more real and relevant. It grapples with the hard issues with prayer- unanswered prayer, denied prayer, but also maintains the hope that prayer brings us.

So, this is really worth reading, whether you're an experienced pray-er or whether you're stuck or it or it just doesn't make sense.

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