The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime--A Manual for Prayer - Hardcover

Tickle, Phyllis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385492863 ISBN 13: 9780385492867

Publisher: Doubleday Religion, 2000

Synopsis

The first volume in a trilogy of prayer manuals compiled by Publishers Weekly religion editor Phyllis Tickle as a contemporary Book of Hours to guide Christians gently yet authoritatively through the daily offices.

The Divine Hours is the first major literary and liturgical reworking of the sixth-century Benedictine Rule of fixed-hour prayer. This beautifully conceived and thoroughly modern three-volume guide will appeal to the theological novice as well as to the ecclesiastical sophisticate. Making primary use of the Book of Common Prayer and the writings of the Church Fathers, The Divine Hours is also a companion to the New Jerusalem Bible, from which it draws its Scripture readings. The trilogy blends prayer and praise in a way that, while extraordinarily fresh, respects and builds upon the ancient wisdom of Christianity.

The first book in the set, Prayers for Summertime, filled with prayers, psalms, and readings, is one readers will turn to again and again. Compact in size, it is perfect for those seeking greater spiritual depth. As a contemporary Book of Hours, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime heralds a renewal of the tradition of disciplined daily prayer, and will whet the hunger of a large and eager audience for the follow-up autumn/winter and spring volumes.
The first book in the set, PRAYERS FOR SUMMERTIME, filled with prayers, psalms, and readings, is the one readers will turn to when making their daily summertime devotions. Compact, with a ribbon marker and deluxe endpapers, it is perfect for those seeking spiritual guidance and renewal. THE DIVINE HOURS: PRAYERS FOR SUMMERTIME heralds a new form of an old tradition and whets the hunger of a large and eager audience for the follow-up winter and spring volumes. -->

About this title

Review:

The Divine Hours trilogy is meant to be a manual for "fixed hour prayer"--an age-old discipline of saying prayers at certain times of the day. (Fixed prayer is also known as "liturgy of hours," "keeping the hours," or "saying the offices.") The psalms contained in the beautiful trilogy (summertime, wintertime, and springtime) read like ancient poems and are made even more meaningful and powerful when sung or chanted, according to Phyllis Tickle, who lovingly gathered and organized these rich volumes. The book is organized by dates, starting with the Monday nearest to June and closing with the Saturday closest to September 28. Upon each date, readers can find complete prayers for "The Morning Office" on through the "Vespers Office" (between 5 and 8 p.m.). The clear organization and elegantly designed pages make this an excellent companion for a time-honored form of private worship and devotion. Newcomers to fixed hour prayer as well as longstanding devotees will find this an appealing and impressive guide.

About the Author:

Phyllis Tickle has been reporting on religion for Publishers Weekly for many years and is currently Contributing Editor in Religion for the journal. One of the most respected authorities and popular speakers on religion in America today, she is frequently quoted and interviewed both in print media, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, and Time, and in electronic media, such as CNN, C-SPAN, BBC, and "Voice of America." She appears frequently on the Odyssey Channel and is a regular guest on PBS's "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly." She is the author of over two dozen books, including the recently published God-Talk in America. She lives in the rural community of Lucy, Tennessee.

Visit the Divine Hours Web site at www.thedivinehours.com.

The Divine Hours is a trademark of Tickle, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday Religion
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0385492863
• ISBN 13: 9780385492867
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 672