In this volume eight eminent theologians explore the remarkable influence, spiritual power, and timely themes of the Lord's Prayer from exegetical, historical, theological, and pastoral perspectives. The insightful studies contained herein illuminate various facets of the Lord's Prayer: its rich Old Testament background; its immediate context in the prayer life of first-century Judaism; its intimate connection with the Gospel narrative of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection; its singular vitality in shaping the prayer and practice of Christians for two millennia; its integration of realism and hope; and its coupling of the glory of God and the renewal of humanity and all creation.
Since the proper understanding of the Lord's Prayer is central to the right understanding and practice of Christian prayer in general, this volume makes an important contribution both to the history of biblical interpretation and to Christian theology and spirituality. Above all, the careful study of the Lord's Prayer provided by these essays will help readers to reclaim the personal and communal practice of Christian prayer not as an escape from responsibility but as the lifeline of all true knowledge and service of God.