Description
The Orthodox Church is known for its beautiful written prayers. Together we pray words that have been spoken by Orthodox Christians for centuries. Some of our most central prayers, such as the “Thrice Holy Hymn†and the “Our Father,†draw from the Scriptures and Second Temple sources. Why do we pray the prayers of our forefathers and mothers? Why do we follow these formal patterns in our worship services?
In this course, we will explore the ways that the Orthodox Church turns continually toward the well-tested patterns of prayer; we sing from a common hymnbook. This course will study select New Testament and ancient Christian prayers from the first four centuries, with attention to their scriptural and inter-testamental archetypes. Special focus will be given to prayers with biblical phrases and quotations. The “Our Father†and other prayers in the New Testament will be of special interest, including the commentaries written about them in the early patristic writings. The developme