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Ask the Author: Thomas Shepherd, Author of The Many Faces of Prayer H Rev. Dr. Thomas W. Shepherd is a Shepherd holds a Master of Divinity radio program on Unity Online Radio retired U.S. Army Chaplain who has from Lancaster Theological Seminary (unityonlineradio.org). and a Doctor of Ministry from Saint Paul served religious communities around Shepherd has written several books on School of Theology. He currently the world for more than three decades. theology, church history, and practical teaches graduate students at Unity Before entering the ministry, he flew Christianity, including: Jesus 2.1, Good Institute® and Seminary, Unity Village, medical evacuation helicopters in Questions, Glimpses of Truth, and Missouri. His column, “That’s a Good Vietnam, earning two Distinguished Friends in High Places. He blogs Question,” has been a popular feature Flying Crosses, the Air Medal, Purple regularly at revtom-theo- in Unity Magazine® since the 1990s. He Heart, and Vietnamese Cross of blog.blogspot.com. Gallantry. also hosts Let’s Talk About It, a weekly

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

Prayer is an age-old topic. What inspired you to write the book, and why now?

I’m intensely interested in rethinking spirituality for the 21st century, especially the theology of prayer. The trendy controversy—should we pray “to” God, or concentrate exclusively on affirming the divine-within—blocks the arteries flowing from the heart of prayer. Some people have told me they feel guilty because they find comfort in talking with God, yet they have been warned against praying “dualistically” to a God “out there.” And it is a culture-wide phenomenon. Some of the most popular attacks on prayer come from widely published atheists who offer no constructive alternatives. Why not follow the adaptive model of natural selection and pray whatever way works for you?

As we evolve spiritually, is prayer still necessary?

Prayer is sacred words in motion; it reverberates far too widely across the planet to sound the death knell. And while we are speaking of spiritual evolution, may I suggest an alternative model? Even though evolution is one of the dynamic forces shaping our world, I am not convinced the goal of life is evolution itself, spiritual or physical. Expressing the divine-within doesn’t require me to go anywhere, to change anything. In nature the mechanism of evolution isn’t seeking some distant goal but attempting to achieve balance in the world around us. Environmental pressures destabilize and threaten an ecosystem, so species adapt to thrive. Why wouldn’t that also be true about so-called spiritual evolution? Prayer is one of the ways we apply the life force, the divine-within, to the task of balancing our world. New Thought philosophy is that we create our world by what we think. I submit, we create our world by what we pray. How do you respond when outspoken critics say prayer is becoming obsolete?

I say, “Good for them!” Thoughtful commentary by skeptics can drive people to examine their embedded theologies. For example, atheist and comedian Bill Maher stings the complacent religionist when he says, “Prayer is trying to telepathically communicate with your imaginary friend.” Yet, despite its cultured despisers, prayer thrives everywhere. Great crowds of Christian worshipers gather every Sunday to raise hands and glorify God. Muslim faithful kneel in prayer five times a day. Hindus chant with beads, read from sacred books, and sing devotional songs as acts of prayer. Wiccans turn to the guardians of the Watchtowers of four directions to draw their circles of neo- pagan worship. Many traditions meditate, which is the preferred spiritual discipline of Buddhists. Yet, like Maher, some people say all this prayer is nothing more than talking to the ceiling.

So then, are we all taking to the same person or God—or ceiling?

All forms of prayer fall into one of two categories: communication or reflection. Either we are communing with something greater than ourselves (the I-Thou experience defined by Jewish theologian Martin Buber) or we are reflecting upon the spiritual journey. When I stand under a starry sky and whisper, “Thank You,” I am communicating; when I experience my oneness with sky and stars and Cosmos, I am reflecting. Both seem like authentic forms of prayer to me. Although I’m a Unity minister, and Unity’s primary form of prayer is affirmation, which is a form of reflection, I have absolutely no problem praying to the god of the ceiling, or the mountains, or the starry skies. I like to think of communicative prayer as my part of God talking to the rest of It.

What modern prayer alternatives do you suggest?

In Many Faces of Prayer, I unpack the history and theology of prayer while offering practical ways to enrich spiritual life today. The book is not a formula for the right way to pray; it’s a multicultural look at the ways people pray, whom they pray to, and what they pray for. A wide variety of spiritual practices drawn from the religions of humanity. I think people will find theologies and spiritual technologies that work for them.

How can book clubs, study groups, or ministers use this book?

Every chapter ends with six “Check Your Knowledge” and six “Discussion Starter” questions, plus a suggested spiritual activity. I’m hopeful this onboard study guide will help readers draw their own conclusions about prayer, examine their belief systems, and discover what works for them. I also hope it will inspire thoughtful group discussions to promote Unity in diversity, especially in the way we look at spirituality and prayer.