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Title: The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God
ISBN: 1557256594
Author:
Frederica Mathewes-Green
Publicate Date: 2009-11-01
Publish: 2009-11-01
List Price: $16.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $9.88
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $9.49
Amazon Merchant Price: $11.55
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| Customer Review: |
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1: An Excellent Introduction
Paraclete Press sent me a copy of The Jesus Prayer by Frederica Mathewes-Green. This is now the third book that I've read on the Jesus Prayer. The Jesus Prayer is "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner." Some use shorter or longer versions of the prayer. The prayer is said repeatedly. I have found this helpful in focusing my mind on Christ, reminding myself that I am a sinner in need of Christ's mercy, and keeping my mind from sinful thoughts. I've reviewed The Jesus Prayer by Per-Olof Sjogren and The Way of a Pilgrim. All three books are useful for different reasons. All three books have strengths and all three have weaknesses. All three suffer to some degree from pietism. All three take a different approach to the use of breathing techniques and pacing the prayer with your heartbeat. The Way of a Pilgrim strongly promotes breathing techniques and pacing the prayer to your heartbeat. Frederica Mathewes-Green seems to discourage the use of these techniques. Per-Olof Sjogren is somewhere in the middle. These are probably all the result of individual experiences with the prayer. At times I have found the techniques helpful and at other times I have found them distracting. Frederica Mathewes-Green offers a very helpful defense of using this prayer repeatedly against those who claim that this is nothing more than pagan Eastern mysticism. Frederica Mathewes-Green does promote a syergistic view of salvation but she is Eastern Orthodox after all. The book isn't perfect but it might be the best introduction to this prayer and it's an easy read.
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2: A good introduction
Though I rated this book with 4 stars, I would give it 3.5. Let me explain why.
I would attribute 4 stars to it because the book is a good introduction to Christianity from a Catholic and Orthodox perspective. For people of a different strain of Christianity or of other creeds curious about "ancient Christianity", this book serves as a reasonable introduction of the orthodox Faith, held by both Catholics and Orthodox. It also explains the Jesus Prayer within this context, particularly within the Eastern traditions. It does not go into complex theories; it is also written in a very down-to-earth language. As someone has already mentioned in their review, it is a series of Q&A (where the author offers her own personal experience as well), which I think follow a logical sequence of inquiry to those that practice (or intend on practicing) the Jesus Prayer.
I would give this book a 3 star rating because of my expectations. I was looking to find a book, though introductory to the Jesus Prayer, with a bit more "meat", and not something so basic. Perhaps I had set my expectations to high given that I had recently read "The Art of Prayer: an Orthodox Anthology". To be fair though, the author does cite from that book on numerous occasions.
So, in light of these two considerations, I hope I have given a somewhat reasonable account of why in reality I would give this book 3.5.
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3: A fine read
My wife and I are reading this aloud as part of a Lenten discipline. There's a multitude of books on this subject but this one is unique, partly because of Khouria Frederica's approachable style. It is an excellent introduction to this simple prayer of the heart which can overcome all our mental complexes and cultural contamination and allow us to stand before the Lord.
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4: Unceasing prayer
If you are interested in the practice of unceasing prayer, prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, read this book.
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5: Jesus Prayer explained
The Jesus Prayer has been a method for union with Jesus for centuries. However, this book explains why one would pray the prayer. It mentions the need to use this prayer with the help and guidance of a spiritual director. This prayer is more popular in the Eastern Church than in the West but is growing in popularity in the Western churches. Reading this book will make your use of the prayer much more unitive and enriching. A Chotki is the rosary type help to keep one focused. Chotki's are available from Orthodox book stores or at several places on line. There is a very wide variety of types, lengths and materials used to make a Chotki.
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