Overview
Do humans have a special capacity designed to foster experiences of God? What role do specific bodily actions or emotions play in the cultivation of a divine experience? Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra and John’s Apocalypse: Emotion, Empathy, and Engagement with God explores these questions in a systematic study of the emotions in two apocalyptic texts. The book of 4 Ezra, an ancient Jewish apocalypse, and the book of Revelation, an ancient Christian Apocalypse written by John, are examined with a focus on the emotional language of the prayers and prayer preludes contained in this literature. Both texts were composed in the first-century of the Common Era, a time when most people exposed to literature heard the content as it was recited. The emotive language in these writings could potentially arouse similar emotions in the readers or hearers of these texts, allowing the person to have access to the divine experiences, which are described by the seer in 4 Ezra and are expressed by the angelic choir in John’s Apocalypse. Prior to examining the prayers, Prayer as Divine Experience will describe the neurological processes that cause a person to mirror the emotions expressed by another individual, thereby prompting an imitation of the experience that is perceived.
Full Product Details
Author: David Seal
Publisher: University Press of America
Imprint: Hamilton Books
Dimensions:
Width: 16.00cm
, Height: 1.70cm
, Length: 25.20cm
Weight: 0.399kg
ISBN: 9780761869252
ISBN 10: 0761869255
Pages: 138
Publication Date: 13 June 2017
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
How does biblical prayer move us and transform our lives? How does scriptural praying open up or break through the heavens to touch the heart of the transcendent God? How does God generate joy in our spirit, nurture confidence in our souls, and instill hope in our lives through prayer even in apocalyptic times? David Seal’s interdisciplinary study not only helps us to feel these questions through his examination of 4 Ezra and Revelation but also leads us to hear afresh divine answers in these texts. Take up-read-listen, and then be ready to pray like you’ve never prayed before! -- Amos Yong This study of texts directed at communities in need of assurance of God’s presence has rendered a service in focusing on the emotions that may have been experienced by listeners. Certainly this will be of interest to those involved in liturgical studies in modern times. * Catholic Biblical Quarterly *
How does biblical prayer move us and transform our lives? How does scriptural praying open up or break through the heavens to touch the heart of the transcendent God? How does God generate joy in our spirit, nurture confidence in our souls, and instill hope in our lives through prayer even in apocalyptic times? David Seal's interdisciplinary study not only helps us to feel these questions through his examination of 4 Ezra and Revelation but also leads us to hear afresh divine answers in these texts. Take up-read-listen, and then be ready to pray like you've never prayed before! -- Amos Yong, Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia Beach, VA
Author Information
David Seal (PhD Regent University) is an instructor of religion at Lansing Community College and is also currently teaching in the Professional and Graduate program at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI. He has written several scholarly articles in biblical studies.
