Do you feel guilty when you get distracted during prayer? Or even wonder ‘why am I praying in the first place’? And what do you do when it feels like your prayers aren’t actually working? I’m joined by author, lecturer, and theologian, Griffin Gooch, to look at Letter 27 of Screwtape, which interestingly throws the idea of prayer into a completely different light. We also talk about the theology of happiness (ever been told that you should aim to be “joyful” but not happy?) and how the early Church taught a different perspective than what we normally hear from the Western Church today. Griffin reminds us that there is a lovely, transcendental silliness to prayer, and that much of our “guilt” for desiring happiness is rooted in the work of ancient philosophers — not necessarily in the teachings of Christ.
Mentioned in this episode:
Find Griffin on Substack here.
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The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
The World’s Last Night by C.S. Lewis
(Please buy from your local bookstore wherever possible. Note: I have not personally read all books mentioned in this episode. Sharing them here is not necessarily a personal endorsement.)
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