Knocking on Heaven's Door
A New Testament Theology of Petitionary Prayer
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- Format
- E-Book
- ISBN
- 9781441239044
- Pub. Date
- Sep 2006
- SRP
- $30.00
About
Two extreme views on petitionary prayer are often promulgated in the churches. The first states that God will grant any request as long as the petitioner has enough faith and/or persistence. The second acknowledges that sometimes God does not answer prayers and resignedly concludes that prayer is really for our sake and has no impact on God's actions. Using careful exegesis, Crump first critiques these views and then examines all the relevant New Testament texts in order to construct a cohesive theology of prayer that is faithful to the teachings of Jesus and the early church. Consideration is also given to the relationship between divine sovereignty and prayer.
The quality of writing and the topical relevance make this an ideal text for courses in pastoral theology.
Endorsements
"Too often books on prayer offer practical advice but are almost entirely devoid of sound exegesis, or they demonstrate sound scholarship but make no attempt to connect to everyday life. David Crump does a splendid job of bridging the gap between exegesis and application in this stimulating book on petitionary prayer. One does not need to agree with all of Crump's conclusions to benefit from his careful study of the biblical text, his attention to biblical theology, and his theological synthesis that speaks to our contemporary situation."--Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"By limiting his focus to petitionary prayer, David Crump is able to deal thoroughly with the kind of prayer that raises the most problems for believers and unbelievers alike. In this work, he has made accessible a wealth of recent New Testament scholarship while engaging in a theological critique of the most revered 'prayer warriors' of the last two centuries--a bold move that is both refreshing and long overdue."--Sharyn Dowd, professor of New Testament, Baylor University
"This is not just another book about prayer. David Crump has achieved a very satisfying blend of exegetical analysis and theological reflection in a volume that provides insightful and, at times, challenging perspective on the tough questions. His presentation of the biblical teaching on prayer is very helpful and needs to be heard."--Clinton E. Arnold, professor and chairman, department of New Testament, Talbot School of Theology
"The church and praying people need this balanced book. David Crump faces the intensely practical problem of unanswered prayer. In this theologically informed and intellectually rigorous, as well as pastorally sensitive, treatment, Crump shows that the New Testament has laid down the boundaries for our praying: God is personal, willing to be changed, and we are changed by prayer. Also, while our praying arises in this life, its priorities and values are dictated by the next. In this deeply challenging and well-written book that has satisfying answers, all readers will find help in praying to a good God who can both be seen in our suffering and answer in the miraculous."--Graham H. Twelftree, Charles L. Holman Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Regent University
"With an openness to mystery, an eye for the important, and a passion for detail, David Crump has written a reliable guide to the prayer world of Jesus and the earliest Christians. What does it mean to pray in faith or to address God as Father? Why would Jesus liken God to a sleepy householder or an indifferent bureaucrat? From puzzling parables to the Lord's Prayer, from Jesus's cry in Gethsemane to Paul's thorn in the flesh, Crump wends thoughtfully through every New Testament passage on prayer, telling stories and offering sage counsel as he goes. If for you praying is like breathing, don't bother with this book. For the rest of us, Knocking on Heaven's Door may well be an answer to prayer."--Bruce N. Fisk, professor of religious studies, Westmont College
The Author
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David Crump
David Crump (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of religion and theology at Calvin University. He is the author of Jesus the Intercessor: Prayer and Christology in Luke-Acts and Feeling Like God: A Spiritual Journey to Emotional...
Continue reading about David Crump
Reviews
"[The author] brings together a series of insightful and deeply spiritual thoughts on some of the major petitionary prayers in the Bible. . . . Crump carefully studies several of Jesus' parables, the Lord's Prayer and the Pauline writings, among others, as they explain and clarify God's intent in urging his followers to pray. Crump's exacting attention to the original languages and a diversity of scholarship, along with his clear writing style, provide a rich and rewarding study of petitionary prayer. Academics and general readers alike will find much to appreciate."--Publishers Weekly
"A complex, multilayered, and captivating scholarly study of petitionary prayer. . . . Crump seeks to honor both God's sovereignty and the notion that we have a 'truly reciprocal relationship' with God, a relationship in which our concerns 'make a real difference to God.' Crump's way into this mystery is a careful reading of New Testament passages pertaining to petitionary prayer. . . . Crump offers a radical affirmation of the centrality of the Cross to Christian prayer."--Lauren F. Winner, Books & Culture
"[This] book fills a niche in English-language studies. . . . It will be particularly useful for those readers of the NT whose prayer for their personal growth in holiness has hit a seeming dead end and who want a big-picture summary of the canon's contribution to that issue. . . . One may also recognize in Crump's study a significant step beyond previous exegetical studies of the issue."--Mark Kiley, Catholic Biblical Quarterly
"Crump evinces considerable pastoral interests, alongside a fluency in evangelical literature on petitionary prayer. . . . Precisely as NT theology, both the church and the academy will find much stimulus in this book."--Angus Paddison, Journal for the Study of the New Testament Booklist
"[Crump] has bridged the gap between exegesis of texts on prayer and practical applications of exegetically derived insights. In choosing to limit his discussion to biblical passages that address petitionary prayer, he has focused his discussion and is able to spend more time on interpretive issues in particular texts. Furthermore, since petitionary prayer is the area that creates the greatest number of difficulties for praying believers, his choice to focus only on this aspect of prayer makes the topics discussed in the book extremely relevant. . . . I have been enriched by many of Crump's insights into particular biblical texts and found numerous helpful insights. . . . Readers, thus, will find in this book a wealth of detailed analysis of biblical texts that touch on the question of petitionary prayer."--Kenneth Berding, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
"Crump's tone throughout is popular and pastoral, although based on serious biblical study. This is a valuable contribution on an important topic."--Donald Senior, CP, Bible Today
"Crump invites the reader into a serious engagement with the key biblical texts on petitionary prayer. His book is not an abstract theological essay but a wonderfully engaging biblical theology filled with pastoral significance on every page. . . . The author's discussion of the Lord's Prayer is exegetically very thorough and pastorally very rich. . . . I heartily commend Crump for his excellent exegesis and numerous pastoral applications and warmly recommend this wonderfully interesting book to pastors and all who are interested in serious reflection on their own petitionary prayers."--David E. Holwerda, Calvin Theological Journal
"David Crump's insightful book makes an important contribution to our understanding of prayer in the New Testament. . . . This book blends careful exegesis with theological synthesis and integrates prayer within God's saving purposes for his people. It thus encourages believers to come with boldness to the throne of grace in prayer, while at the same time critiquing false notions in popular piety about petitionary prayer and lack of faith."--Peter T. O'Brien, Bulletin for Biblical Research
"Crump combines exegetical comment on the key NT passages with insights offered from his personal life, his pastoral experience and concise theological analyses. . . . There is no doubting the essential soundness of his conclusions and the pastoral sense that shines through the book. . . . This is a book I can highly recommend to the seminarian, college student or church member wrestling with prayer and finding much that dissatisfies among the many contemporary voices on the subject."--Mark Harding, Biblical Theology Bulletin
"David Crump has fruitfully combined the disciplines of biblical exegesis and pastoral application producing insights for scholars, students, pastors, prayer leaders, and pray-ers. The most important and unique aspect of this volume is the inviting way Crump forces readers to consider the formulation of their theology proper formed, informed, and reformed in both exegesis and in the act of prayer. In this volume, Crump has delivered a text successfully exploring the texts of the NT with the exegetical tools of the academy and present[ed] the findings to two audiences: the academy and those disposed to prayer and spiritual disciplines. Both audiences walk away enlightened and encouraged. . . . Readers will do well to incorporate the pattern of Crump's work into their own prayer lives and into their teaching, preaching, and discipleship practices. This is simply an excellent text displaying how exegesis should affect the praxis of the church. As such, I highly recommend this volume for use with upper-level undergraduates considering their philosophy of ministry and graduate students. I also recommend this book for pastors to consider the way they pray, but also the way they teach their congregations how to pray. . . . This volume would also be a welcomed text for advanced discipleship groups, especially pastoral prayer and support groups. Crump's work is a must-read for prayer and worship leaders. Crump's insights into and acquaintance with the American prayer movement integrated with superb exegetical work should aid prayer and worship leaders further their practice and modeling of prayer in public."--Jared Odle, Stone-Campbell Journal