Description
Book SynopsisA study of the communal worship and private prayers of the early Christian Church, in particular the intercessory prayer passages in Paul's seven epistles. Professor Wiles is concerned to discover what these prayers reveal about Paul's ministry and his apostolic strategy. Were his assurances that he was praying continually for his readers merely polite expressions? Were his requests for their prayers sincere and serious? How did this affect his relations with the churches and his influence on them? To answer these questions the book makes a thorough analysis of the prayer passages in the light of ancient epistolary and liturgical style. It places the passages within the structure of each letter, and relates them to the dynamic situation for which each was written.
Table of ContentsPreface; Texts and abbreviations; 1. Introductory; 2. Intercessory prayer material in Paul's letters; 3. Intercessory wish-prayers: their background and form; 4. Function of the wish-prayers in I Thessalonians; 5. Function of the wish-prayers in Romans, I Corinthians, and Philippians; 6. Blessings and curses; 7. Intercessory prayer-reports: their form and function; 8. Function of the prayer-reports in the thanksgiving periods; 9. Function of the prayer-reports in the body of the letters; 10. Requests and exhortations about intercessory prayer; 11. Concluding statement; Appendixes; Bibliography; Index of passages cited; Index of authors; Index of subjects.
