Understanding Prayer for the Dead
Its Foundation in History and Logic
by James B. Gould
Paperback (No longer our product)
(August 2017)
ISBN: 9780718895006
5.98 x 9.02 inches
Price: $44.00
On back order
A defence of the practice of prayer for the dead, expanding upon the biblical and philosophical background and exploring the theological ramifications.
Throughout history, Christians have prayed for the dead – both for continual growth of the faithful and for their advancement from purgatory, and sometimes, even, for the deliverance of the unsaved from hell. Understanding Prayer for the Dead defends all three kinds of prayer. It challenges Protestants, who seldom pray for the dead, to begin doing so – and Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, who pray only for the Christian dead, to include the unsaved as well. James B. Gould addresses the biblical credentials of prayer for the dead and provides a historical overview of such prayers from ancient Christianity to the current practice of the three main branches of the Church. He also discusses the logical assumptions prayer for the dead requires – that prayer is effective, that the dead are conscious, and that the afterlife involves change – and lays out a theological framework for such prayers. Prayer for the departed raises the most basic of theological questions, matters that go to the centre of God’s purpose in creating spiritual beings and redeeming sinful humankind. The argument, while revisionary in some respects, is orthodox, ecumenical, and integrative, engaging a range of academic disciplines so as to be biblically accurate, historically informed, and philosophically reasoned.
- By (author) James B Gould
"James B. Gould not only argues powerfully that there is no good theological case against prayer for the dead, but also that there is a powerful theological case in favor of it. Gould's case is wide-ranging in its argument, and he deals with the history of prayer for the dead in Christian theology as well as the philosophical and theological issues raised by the practice. His work will be recognized as a landmark on these vital issues for years to come."Jerry L. Walls, Professor of Philosophy, Houston Baptist University"Christians have argued for centuries about whether or not we should pray for the dead. This wise and thorough examination of the subject from a biblical, historical, theological, and philosophical perspective will be an invaluable guide to anyone interested in the question - anyone, in fact, who wants to think more deeply about what we do when we pray and the nature of life after death. There is so much here to inform, challenge, and inspire."John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, United Kingdom
—
Similar Books
‘For You I Study, For You I Work, For You I Live, For You I Am Ready To Even Give My Life’
Essays in Honour of Francis (Frank) J Moloney, SDB
A Connecting Polemic in the Medieval Mediterranean
The Correspondence of Leo III and ʿUmar II
Volume 6
Cultic Kisses
Fruitful Encounters Between Deities and Humans. Festschrift for Angelika Berlejung on the Occasion of Her 65th Birthday
Extracanonical Traditions and the Holy Land
Texts, Rituals, and Material Culture in Late Antique Palestine
Fear, Fear of God, God-Fearers
Philological and Historical Perspectives on the World of Ancient Judaism and Christianity
Hoghe minne es deen vor dander
Essays on the Christian Mystical Tradition in Honour of Rob Faesen SJ
Volume 122
Liturgia semper reformanda
Adaptations and accommodations in the liturgy in light of canon 838 of the Code of Canon Law
On Becoming a Theologian of the Cross
Revisiting Luther’s theologus crucis from the Heidelberg Disputation to the Genesis Lectures
Pre-Christian Religions, Rituals, and Beliefs in Central and Northern Europe
Interdisciplinary Investigations
Volume 5
Reforming Good Works in Geneva
Bénédict Pictet’s Doctrine of Good Works and His Place in Late Reformed Orthodoxy
Volume 85
