Preachers at Prayer: Soundings in the Dominican Spiritual Tradition

When St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers in the thirteenth century, it was to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Today, given the ever-widening gap between Christian tradition and secular culture, this task remains as relevant as ever--not only for the Dominicans but for every baptized Christian. Who will have the courage to go out into this gap and witness to the power of God’s love?

In Preachers at Prayer: Soundings in the Dominican Spiritual Tradition, priest and scholar Paul Murray presents four talks on the subjects of prayer, study, and preaching, highlighting the deep interconnectedness of all three aspects in the life of the preacher. Drawing on the timeless wisdom of the masters of the Dominican tradition, he demonstrates how conversion begins first in the soul of the evangelist, spreading outward from a heart on fire.

Paul Murray, OP, an Irish Dominican friar, lives in Rome, where he teaches courses on the literature of the Western mystical tradition at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He is a fellow of the Word on Fire Institute and has published many books, including Saint Catherine of Siena: Mystic of Fire, Preacher of Freedom; A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment; Light at the Torn Horizon; and Aquinas at Prayer: The Bible, Mysticism, and Poetry.