Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness - Hardcover

Merrill, Nan C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0826412866 ISBN 13: 9780826412867

Publisher: Continuum, 2000

Synopsis

Every commentary on the Book of Psalms has had to face the issue that many of these prayers commemorate and celebrate wrath and vengeance. What is needed is not ingenious exegetical rationalization of ancient texts, but the kind of transformation into a work of piety and art that is provided here.Addressed are the needs of a world seeking to counter individual and societal injustices by a global peace born of personal peace through prayer and practice. In short, here is the Book of Psalms recast in the light of the continuing revelation and evolution of the authentic religious spirit of the scriptures.

About this title

About the Author:

Nan C. Merrill is the author of Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness, which has sold 50,000 copies and is in a tenth-anniversary edition. Her widely used Meditations and Mandalas: Simple Songs for the Spiritual Life is also published by Continuum. Merrill founded the monthly newsletter Friends of Silence, served with urban parish teams, facilitated retreats, and was engaged in prison ministry for more than thirty years. She passed away in January 2010.

Review:

"Merrill has reworked the Book of Psalms in a loving, contemplative manner, which betrays none of the original vigor or essence. Rather, in a mode that is fresh and eloquent, Merrill's psalms evoke the deep sense of reverence and soul-stirring dialogue with the divine that is often eclipsed by the fear of divine wrath in the original. Highly recommended."—Library Journal

"Merrill allows the Psalms to be something new, fresh, contemporary, and yet still themselves."-Walter Wink

"In Nan Merrill's re-visioned Psalms, familiar words, rhythms, and conventional meanings provide new insights and intuitions for our times."-Meinrad Craighead

"The very liveliness of the Psalms causes us to want to say them in our own language. Nan Merrill has done this marvelously, and I'm grateful for this labor of integration and love."-Madeleine L'Engle

"...[an] excellent companion for morning and evening prayer...[Merrill] has retained the vigor, eloquence, and personal relationship with the Divine that is found in the Old Testament songs, while at the same time adding new insights. The result is a collection of dialogues with God that speak to modern men and women on a personal level." - Clare Boehmer ASC; Review for Religious

About this edition

• Publisher: Continuum
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0826412866
• ISBN 13: 9780826412867
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320