Learning to Pray: Mary Karr Interviews Father James Martin

How does one pray? It may seem a silly question, but it’s one Father James Martin has received—and asked—many times throughout his thirty years as a spiritual leader. In Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone, Father Martin assures readers there is no wrong way to pray. He expands his chapter on communicating with God from his bestselling book The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything into a profound and practical handbook that explains what prayer is, what to expect from praying, how to do it, and how it can transform us when we make it a regular practice. Martin lays out the different styles and traditions of prayer throughout Christian history and invites us to experiment and discover which works best to feed our soul and build intimacy with our Creator. Like any relationship, each person can discover the best style for building an intimate relationship with God, regardless of religion or denomination. Prayer, he teaches us, is open and accessible to anyone willing to open their heart. Mary Karr, author of Lit and Liar’s Club, calls the book “A smart, wise, often side-splittingly funny master class in seeking God. Any spiritual seeker—from atheist to professional religious—will cherish this bravura tome from one of our great spiritual guides, in the lineage of C. S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa. Hallelujah & amen!” Karr interviews Martin about the book for this virtual event, followed by an audience Q&A.

A recording of the event can be found here.

This event is hosted by Arts at Old First. Copies of Learning to Pray can be ordered from our neighbors at Community Bookstore for pickup or shipping here: https://www.communitybookstore.net/book/9780062643230