God Has No Religion: Blending Traditions for Prayer

God Has No Religion: Blending Traditions for Prayer is a collection of prayers from diverse religious sources, from Mother Teresa to the Holy Qur'an to Gandhi, Native American traditions, and more. Each individual prayer is represented with options for when it is most applicable, suggested non-theistic versions, recommendations for focus, reflection, and closing, and a great deal more. An introduction offers a brief overview of prayer practices across various faiths, and the "prayerware" such as the Catholic rosary that go along with them. A deeply spiritual book written for individuals of all beliefs, written in the passionate conviction that the meaning and spirit of the prayer itself and the sincerity behind the sentiment uttered is what truly matters far more than the denomination to which the original prayer is attributed.

I first heard of this book when our priest read from it during Mass. I loved the reading and it prompted me to ask him about the book; thus, I bought a copy for myself. I can highly recommend this book as a lovely set of prayers, diverse in their content and origins. I especially love the readings and prayers for the animals. Dostoyevsky has a particularly beautiful prayer in here for the animals and all creation. A book like this teaches us to be kindler and gentler in a society that isn't always that way. Highly recommended reading.

If you are among the half of Americans under 30 and the third of Americans over 70 purported to believe that the best religion is one that borrows from all religions, this is your prayer book. And even if you don't fit that description but long for more meaningful prayers or find yourself in interfaith gatherings calling for prayer, you will value this a useful resource. The author opens with brief descriptions of common prayer practices from lectio divina to walking meditation, and prayerware from beads to cymbals, chimes, and bells. Twelve chapters are devoted to separate types of prayer, such as prayers for the earth and the animals, blessings, litanies and mantras. Each prayer is labeled according to tradition/path (as Catholic/Christian; Interfaith; and Christian Feminism) and accompanied by a brief explanation of its origin and options for use.