The Soul at Prayer
Wittgenstein lists prayer as a distinct language-game, but leaves to others the investigation of its character. Formulating it as “conversation with God” is correct but potentially unhelpful, in part because it presupposes that we can understand what God is independently of knowing what it is to pra...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/928 |
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| _version_ | 1850072425226567680 |
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| author | Richard G. T. Gipps |
| author_facet | Richard G. T. Gipps |
| author_sort | Richard G. T. Gipps |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wittgenstein lists prayer as a distinct language-game, but leaves to others the investigation of its character. Formulating it as “conversation with God” is correct but potentially unhelpful, in part because it presupposes that we can understand what God is independently of knowing what it is to pray. But by situating the language-game in the context of our human form of life we make better progress. The discussion of this paper, the focus of which is Christian prayer, first reminds us of what it is to have a soul life—i.e., a life in which hope, conscience, and vitality are interpenetrating elements. It next sketches a more distinctly Christian anthropology in which our lives our understood as marred by pride, lack of trust and openness, and ingratitude. Against this backdrop, prayer can be understood for what it is as the soul coming out of its proud retreat, speaking in its own voice, owning its distortions, acknowledging its gratitude, and pleading its true desires. And God can be understood as (inter alia) that to which prayer is principally offered. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ae16c20dbe3e4ecea15b29c3c8d687ca |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj-art-ae16c20dbe3e4ecea15b29c3c8d687ca2025-08-20T02:47:05ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-07-0116792810.3390/rel16070928The Soul at PrayerRichard G. T. Gipps0Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LY, UKWittgenstein lists prayer as a distinct language-game, but leaves to others the investigation of its character. Formulating it as “conversation with God” is correct but potentially unhelpful, in part because it presupposes that we can understand what God is independently of knowing what it is to pray. But by situating the language-game in the context of our human form of life we make better progress. The discussion of this paper, the focus of which is Christian prayer, first reminds us of what it is to have a soul life—i.e., a life in which hope, conscience, and vitality are interpenetrating elements. It next sketches a more distinctly Christian anthropology in which our lives our understood as marred by pride, lack of trust and openness, and ingratitude. Against this backdrop, prayer can be understood for what it is as the soul coming out of its proud retreat, speaking in its own voice, owning its distortions, acknowledging its gratitude, and pleading its true desires. And God can be understood as (inter alia) that to which prayer is principally offered.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/928prayerGodWittgensteinpetitionsoulpride |
| spellingShingle | Richard G. T. Gipps The Soul at Prayer Religions prayer God Wittgenstein petition soul pride |
| title | The Soul at Prayer |
| title_full | The Soul at Prayer |
| title_fullStr | The Soul at Prayer |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Soul at Prayer |
| title_short | The Soul at Prayer |
| title_sort | soul at prayer |
| topic | prayer God Wittgenstein petition soul pride |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/928 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardgtgipps thesoulatprayer AT richardgtgipps soulatprayer |