Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra and John’s Apocalypse

Emotions, Empathy, and Engagement with God

David Seal

Do humans have a special capacity designed to foster experiences of God? What role do specific bodily actions or emotions play in the cultivation of a divine experience? Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra and John’s Apocalypse: Emotion, Empathy, and Engagement with God explores these questions in a systematic study of the emotions in two apocalyptic texts. The book of 4 Ezra, an ancient Jewish apocalypse, and the book of Revelation, an ancient Christian Apocalypse written by John, are examined with a focus on the emotional language of the prayers and prayer preludes contained in this literature. Both texts were composed in the first-century of the Common Era, a time when most people exposed to literature heard the content as it was recited. The emotive language in these writings could potentially arouse similar emotions in the readers or hearers of these texts, allowing the person to have access to the divine experiences, which are described by the seer in 4 Ezra and are expressed by the angelic choir in John’s Apocalypse. Prior to examining the prayers, Prayer as Divine Experience will describe the neurological processes that cause a person to mirror the emotions expressed by another individual, thereby prompting an imitation of the experience that is perceived.

Hamilton Books

Pages: 138 • Trim: 6⅜ x 10

978-0-7618-6925-2 • Hardback • June 2017 • $78.00 • (£60.00)

978-0-7618-6926-9 • eBook • June 2017 • $74.00 • (£57.00)

Subjects: Religion / Biblical Commentary / General, Religion / General, Religion / Ancient, Religion / Judaism / History, Religion / Prayer

Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra and John’s Apocalypse

Emotions, Empathy, and Engagement with God

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Do humans have a special capacity designed to foster experiences of God? What role do specific bodily actions or emotions play in the cultivation of a divine experience? Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra and John’s Apocalypse: Emotion, Empathy, and Engagement with God explores these questions in a systematic study of the emotions in two apocalyptic texts. The book of 4 Ezra, an ancient Jewish apocalypse, and the book of Revelation, an ancient Christian Apocalypse written by John, are examined with a focus on the emotional language of the prayers and prayer preludes contained in this literature. Both texts were composed in the first-century of the Common Era, a time when most people exposed to literature heard the content as it was recited. The emotive language in these writings could potentially arouse similar emotions in the readers or hearers of these texts, allowing the person to have access to the divine experiences, which are described by the seer in 4 Ezra and are expressed by the angelic choir in John’s Apocalypse. Prior to examining the prayers, Prayer as Divine Experience will describe the neurological processes that cause a person to mirror the emotions expressed by another individual, thereby prompting an imitation of the experience that is perceived.

Details

Hamilton Books

Pages: 138 • Trim: 6⅜ x 10

978-0-7618-6925-2 • Hardback • June 2017 • $78.00 • (£60.00)

978-0-7618-6926-9 • eBook • June 2017 • $74.00 • (£57.00)

Subjects: Religion / Biblical Commentary / General, Religion / General, Religion / Ancient, Religion / Judaism / History, Religion / Prayer

Author

David Seal (PhD Regent University) is an instructor of religion at Lansing Community College and is also currently teaching in the Professional and Graduate program at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI. He has written several scholarly articles in biblical studies.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1– Introduction
Chapter 2–Orality, Neuroscience, Performance and Emotions
Chapter 3–Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra

Chapter 4–Prayer as Divine Experience in John’s Apocalypse

Chapter 5–Conclusion

Bibliography

Reviews

How does biblical prayer move us and transform our lives? How does scriptural praying open up or break through the heavens to touch the heart of the transcendent God? How does God generate joy in our spirit, nurture confidence in our souls, and instill hope in our lives through prayer even in apocalyptic times? David Seal’s interdisciplinary study not only helps us to feel these questions through his examination of 4 Ezra and Revelation but also leads us to hear afresh divine answers in these texts. Take up-read-listen, and then be ready to pray like you’ve never prayed before!
— Amos Yong

This study of texts directed at communities in need of assurance of God’s presence has rendered a service in focusing on the emotions that may have been experienced by listeners. Certainly this will be of interest to those involved in liturgical studies in modern times.
— Catholic Biblical Quarterly

Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra and John’s Apocalypse

Emotions, Empathy, and Engagement with God

David Seal

Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra and John’s Apocalypse

Emotions, Empathy, and Engagement with God

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