'Does it matter where you pray?'

: Relating Christian spiritualities to theologies of place

Abstract

This thesis explores how Christian lived experience of place impacts a person’s prayer life. As an empirical project in Practical Theology, it contributes to the growth of academic interest in place and placelessness in society, and in the development of theologies of place and the missional placemaking role of the church. The primary aim is to evaluate the relationship between place and prayer by investigating the effect places have on prayer both individually and corporately. Whilst prayer is central to a study of Christian spiritualities, adequate scholarly attention has not been given to how prayer specifically relates to place. The contention in environmental psychology is that places are of vital importance to our sense of identity and well-being. This research assesses the parallel contention that places are also of vital importance in our encounters with God. This assessment includes a critique of John Inge’s threefold relational view of place.

The research context is Abbey Baptist Church located within the precinct of the ruined medieval Abbey of Reading. This church’s missional strapline includes the phrase, ‘a place of prayer.’ This research explores what it means for a church to be a place of prayer and how the experience of historic sacred places influences the practice of prayer.

This qualitative research in theology and practice employs an ethnographic and phenomenological approach to the methodology based on the Praxis model of theological reflection. Insights from lived experience are dialogued with Scripture, Christian spirituality genealogies and church denominational traditions. An integrated theology of place and prayer that includes time is developed by introducing the concept of ordained, contested and missional places of prayer. While historic sacred places are important in Christian spirituality, place is less significant for prayer. In conclusion, I challenge the privatisation of prayer and call for a renewal of corporate prayer.

Date of Award	12 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	James Woodward (Supervisor) & Michael Hahn (Supervisor)