The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart

"The Jesus Prayer has historically been passed on face-to-face, from one Christ-loving person to the next, down the generations ever since the desert saints. It is learned in a community of fellow-believers, all of whom are aware of their need and sin, trying daily to resist temptation better and love God more. As you form the habit of saying this prayer in the back of your mind all the time, it soaks into you, like dye into cotton, and colors the way you encounter every person and circumstance you meet..."

Frederica Mathewes-Green offers a comprehensive book on the Jesus Prayer- a spiritual jewel for anyone who yearns for a real and continuous presence with Christ. She illuminates the history, theology, and spirituality of Orthodoxy, so that the Prayer can be understood in its native context, and provides practical steps for making it part of your being.

 

"Frederica has given a perceptive, thorough, and balanced picture of the Orthodox teaching on the Jesus Prayer, including much personal wisdom of her own. I am confident that this book will help many people." -Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, author of The Orthodox Way and The Orthodox Church

 

Frederica Mathewes-Green is a wide-ranging author whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, Christianity Today, the Los Angeles Times, First Things, Book & Culture, Sojourners, and the Wall Street Journal. She is the author of eight books, including The Illumined Heart, The Open Door, and The Lost Gospel of Mary, and is the Khouria (spiritual mother) of Holy Cross Orthodox Church near Baltimore.