The Unstable Structure of Christian Prayer
Stefano Micali
The New Yearbook for Phenomenology and Phenomenological Philosophy October 21, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781042011384-10 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Christian prayer is a "limit experience" marked by a structural tension between two tendencies: the certainty of faith that, in turning to the Other, everything is possible, and the act of surrendering to God's will ("Not my will, but Yours be done"). The author proposes that different senses of the impossible inhabit prayer and are the central object of the analysis. |
Abstract
Within the phenomenological tradition, few experiences have received as much sustained attention as religious experience. Among its various forms, prayer occupies a central place. This chapter interprets Christian prayer as a limit experience par excellence . The limit concerns the complex relation between possibility and impossibility. Prayer is inhabited by different senses of the impossible, which constitute the central object of this analysis. A phenomenological analysis of Christian prayer reveals a structural tension between two distinct tendencies. On the one hand, Christian prayer involves the certainty of faith—the belief that, in turning to the Other, everything is possible. On the other hand, it is equally characterized by the act of surrendering to God’s will: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”