Prayer: Christian and Muslim Perspectives is a rich collection of essays, scriptural texts, and personal reflections featuring leading scholars analyzing the meaning and function of prayer within their traditions. Drawn from the 2011 Building Bridges seminar in Doha, Qatar, the essays in this volume explore the devotional practices of each tradition and how these practices are taught and learned. Relevant texts are included, with commentary, as are personal reflections on prayer by each of the seminar participants. The volume also contains a Christian reflection on Islamic prayer and a Muslim reflection on Christian prayer. An extensive account of the informal conversations at the seminar conveys a vivid sense of the lively, penetrating, but respectful dialogue that took place.

David Marshall is director of the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies and associate professor of the practice of Christian-Muslim relations, Duke Divinity School and the academic director of the Building Bridges seminar.

Lucinda Mosher is the faculty associate for Interfaith Studies, Hartford Seminary and the assistant academic director of the Building Bridges seminar.

Participants and contributors

Introduction, David Marshall

Preface, Rowan WilliamsPart I: Surveys1. Lived Prayer: Some Examples from the Christian Tradition, Michael Plekon 2. A Qur’ānic Theology of Prayer, Reza Shah-Kazemi3. Muslim Prayer in Practice, M. M. Dheen Mohamed4. Christian Prayer in Practice, Philip Sheldrake5. A Muslim Response to Christian Prayer, Caner Dagli6. A Christian Perspective on Muslim Prayer, Daniel A. Madigan7. Response, Rowan Williams

Part II: Prayer and Scripture8. The Lord’s Prayer, Susan Eastman9. Al-Fātiha, Rkia Elraoui Cornell10. Prayer in the Spirit in Romans 8, Philip Seddon11. In Reverence of the Almighty: Understanding Prayer and Worship in Qur’ān 3:190-94 and 29:45, Asma Afsaruddin

Part III: Learning to Pray12. Learning to Pray With and In the Christian Tradition: Personal Reflections, Lucy Gardner13. Learning to Pray as a Muslim: The Foundational Stage, Ibrahim Mogra14. Growing in Prayer as a Christian, Timothy Wright15. Growth in Prayer as a Muslim: Reflections and Lessons of a Struggler, Timothy J. Gianotti16. Conversations in Qatar, Lucinda Mosher

Afterword, Rowan Williams

Personal Reflections on Prayer

Index