Deep calls to Deep

Dom David was asked by Continuum to write this book for Lent 2008. It contains the substance of talks given on previous occasions, especially to the OG Easter Retreat here in 2002, as well as other talks to the Novitiate and other groups over the years.

In one sense it is a follow up to his earlier book on Lectio Divina, but it also tries to give a contemporary look at what used to be called ‘Mental Prayer’.

It explores various ways of praying and how these lead into a deeper, quieter form of prayer. At the outset some basic theoretical ideas about prayer are explored; he also considers how to understand petitionary prayer, unanswered prayer, as well as the idea of God speaking to us in prayer, of making His will known to us.

The main part of the book gives guidance on how attune oneself to contemplative prayer and remain focused. It also considers how to understand this kind of prayer more from a theological angle in terms of our participation in the Body and Spirit of Christ.

In this context, David Foster re-examines traditional forms of prayer through meditation and also considers the bridgehead in prayer that is reached when this kind of meditation is impossible. This book is steeped in the Benedictine tradition.