William A. Barry – författare

Different people approach the business of praying in different ways. For some it is, quite frankly, an obligation, like paying taxes. For other people prayer is a means of controlling events, and for those concerned with human fulfillment prayer is a way of delving into themselves, achieving self-knowledge.This book maintains that prayer is first and foremost a personal relationship and that the most fruitful prayer is that which builds upon and enhances relationship. It shows us how we can develop an intimate relationship with God. It suggests various methods of prayer that will deepen and strengthen our friendship with him.†

Is what we call "the encounter with God" merely a depth experience of the psyche or does it have a specific theological character? In this revised edition of his best selling book, William Barry shows how it it possible to understand an encounter with the Triune God in this world, and how that process can be interpreted and aided by a spiritual director.Using the insights of John Macmurray and John Smith, Barry describes how a relationship with God develops and how one can discern whether a particular experience is from God or not. This understanding of religious experience comes from a theology of community, communal discernment and ministry in the church. This book will be helpful to spiritual directors, educators and theologians, as well as all educated seekers desiring a deeper relationship with God.In this revised edition, the author has added reflections on God's presence to suffering and evil and to evildoers, updated the bibliography, and freshened his examples for the 21st-century reader. †