Five Traditions & Practices of Prayer

Course Description

This course explores five traditions and practices of prayer from the history of the church: the short, frequent prayers of the Desert Fathers; the liturgical collect of the Gregorian Sacramentary and the Book of Common Prayer; the examen of conscience among the Jesuits and the Puritans; the use of imagination in disciplined meditation (composition of place) in the 17th-century meditative devotion of the Jesuits, Frances de Sales and the Puritans; and the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern for personal prayer in Martin Luther and C.S. Lewis. Each day we will examine one of these practices, place it in historical context, and discuss a short classic text from the persons or period concerned. But just like one wants not just to study sheet music, but to play the music for oneself, we will take time together to practice these patterns of prayer during the week.

Offered	2026 Winter
Dates	Jan 5-9
Days	Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs, Fri, 09:00AM - 12:00PM
Format	Onsite Only
Credit Hours	1-2
Audit Hours	1
Room Number	Rm 100

Teaching Faculty

Bruce Hindmarsh

James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology; Professor of the History of Christianity

Bruce Hindmarsh took his DPhil degree in theology at Oxford University in 1993. From 1995 to 1997, he was a Research Fellow at Christ Church, Oxford. Since then, Bruce has published and spoken widely to international audiences on the history of early British evangelicalism.

Mike Janzen

Sessional Lecturer

Mike Janzen is a Juno- and GMA-nominated musician who has performed in concert halls, churches, and festivals across North America. His recent work includes three albums of sacred songs inspired by the Psalms.