Prayer in the Catholic Tradition: A Handbook of Practical Approaches

This splendid and hefty compendium covers the breadth and plumbs the depths of Catholic prayer. General editor Wicks, a clinical psychologist and spirituality author (Riding the Dragon), is the perfect choice to assemble a wide variety of Catholic authors writing on themes and techniques of prayer. Chapters in this considerable collection range across the great Catholic spiritual traditions (Benedictine, Franciscan, etc.) and include advice from guides such as the mystical John of the Cross and the contemplative John Main. The essays also address different ways Catholics can pray with the Bible as well as the liturgical calendar. The orderliness of the book begins to fray into something of a grab-bag by the end, as if the editor had too many ideas and talented authors to fit into the sourcebook%E2%80%94a natural problem when a book seeks to be this comprehensive. Wicks's introduction characterizes the Catholic prayer tradition as rich; this handbook is a mine of those rich resources and deserves a place on library, seminary, and individual shelves. (Oct.)