{"product_id":"9781487501983","title":"Compelling God: Theories of Prayer in Anglo-Saxon England","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhile prayer is generally understood as \"communion with God\" modern forms of spirituality prefer \"communion\" that is non-petitionary and wordless. This preference has unduly influenced modern scholarship on historic methods of prayer particularly concerning Anglo-Saxon spirituality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eCompelling God, \u003c\/i\u003eStephanie Clark examines the relationship between prayer, gift giving, the self, and community in Anglo-Saxon England. Clark's analysis of the works of Bede, Ælfric, and Alfred utilizes anthropologic and economic theories of exchange in order to reveal the ritualized, gift-giving relationship with God that Anglo-Saxon prayer espoused. Anglo-Saxon prayer therefore should be considered not merely within the usual context of contemplation, rumination, and meditation but also within the context of gift exchange, offering, and sacrifice. \u003ci\u003eCompelling God\u003c\/i\u003e allows us to see how practices of prayer were at the centre of social connections through which Anglo-Saxons conceptualized a sense of their own personal and communal identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47031643799792,"sku":"9781487501983","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781487501983_p0.jpg?v=1763635893","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781487501983","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}