Prayer After the Death of God
A Phenomenological Study of Hebrew Literature
Avi Sagi author Batya Stein translator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Academic Studies Press
Published:30th Jun '16
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
The widespread view is that prayer is the center of religious existence and that understanding the meaning of prayer requires that we assume God is its sole destination. This book challenges this assumption and, through a phenomenological analysis of the meaning of prayer in modern Hebrew literature, shows that prayer does not depend at all on the addressee humans are praying beings. Prayer is, above all, the recognition that we are free to transcend the facts of our life and an expression of the hope that we can override the weight of our past and present circumstances.
"For Avi Sagi, professor of philosophy at Israel's Bar-Ilan University, the death of God is far more complex than has been previously imagined, especially when viewed in light of the tenacity of prayer in human existence. ... The heart of the book, however, is its exploration and affirmation of prayer without divine matrix, object, or addressee. Sagi is most original as he contends with more traditional explanations of the source and meaning of prayer ... His entire study is informed by a rare and promising dialogue between continental philosophy and critical appreciation for the relevance of Talmudic wisdom. Originally published in Hebrew, Sagi's study represents a unique contribution to the historiography of the death of God and a welcome alternative to the all-too-predictable literature on prayer." -- Peter A. Huff, Spring 2017, Reading Religion.
ISBN: 9781618115034
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
300 pages