Ten Prayers That Changed the World
Extraordinary Stories of Faith That Shaped the Course of History
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Beschreibung des Verlags
From time immemorial, prayer has provided comfort in our darkest hours, stirred us to action beyond what we thought possible, and shown us the way through seemingly insurmountable challenges. In this engaging tour of world history, author and historian Jean-Pierre Isbouts takes us on an inspiring tour of ten prayers that played a pivotal role in world events—from the divine inspiration of Joan of Arc to Martin Luther's powerful hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is our God"; from Abraham's poignant plea to save his son to George Washington's prayerful words to the newly formed American states; from Constantine the Great's prayer before battle to Gandhi's deeply moving "prayer of peace." Ten Prayers That Changed the World delves into the moments in history where faith and prayer intersected with the course of mankind. 2016 Best Book Award in Spirituality.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Isbouts (Jesus: An Illustrated Life) studies the effect that 10 specific prayers have had on world history. Did they really work? If so, why? He probes history, the Bible, and eyewitness accounts for corroboration, and then fills in the blanks with his own imaginative recreations of the settings where the prayer was delivered. What was young Joan of Arc like? What were Martin Luther's thoughts when he was prohibited from publishing books or giving sermons? Was Mother Theresa always certain of her calling? Some of the prayers are well known, such as George Washington's prayer at Valley Forge (made famous in a painting of the general kneeling), the "Our Father" prayer of Jesus, and St. Francis's sermon on becoming an "instrument of peace" (with a fascinating study of how this phrase made its journey into mainstream American life). Some are less familiar, but have had far-reaching impact. As a historian, Isbouts weighs the culture of ancient times against more modern thinking, suggesting new interpretations for legends and exploring alternative versions of stories. Taking a secular tack, he leaves open-ended questions about whether these prayers were heard by a higher power and what form that entity's response might take while concluding that faith of all kinds makes the world a better place.
