Details

Daniel Pawley has a PhD in ethics and practical theology from the University of Edinburgh and is a retired professor of media studies, a published author, and a former journal editor. He lives with his wife in Lisbon, Portugal, where he serves St. Andrews Church as an ordained elder. His journeys combining travel and prayer continue.
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“This book is for you who need assurance that God is much bigger than your church, your holy book, your nation, and your certainties. Daniel Pawley is a wanderer and has understood that God is both local and global. It has to be so because the human heart—no matter where it’s dwelling—longs to pour itself into the divine.”
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<br> —Janet Troy, Spiritual Director, Ruah Spirituality Center
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<br> “Daniel Pawley’s
<i>Across a Prayerful Planet</i> is an ideal combination of travel memoir and book of prayers. His compelling stories include a vivid sense of place, from Switzerland to New Zealand and many spots in between. It is also a remarkable collection of prayers, which are beautiful as literature and meaningful as appeals to the Almighty from people across the globe and across the centuries. The book inspires and enlightens. I wanted to linger over it and make some of these prayers my own.”
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<br> —Joseph Bentz, author of
<i>Nothing is Wasted</i> and
<i>A Son Comes Home</i>
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<br> “This nonfiction narrative speaks to the unique experience of modern nomads, inserted by chance or by choice into unfamiliar places. Daniel captures the way mundane tasks and chance encounters in exotic and ordinary locations inspire profound moments of spiritual insight. Even though we only skim the surface of these places, we take something spiritually dynamic with us. The essence of that experience is captured here.”
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<br> —Marilyn Howe, United States Air Force, retired
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<br> “I have always been impressed by Daniel Pawley’s sincere, seeking nature, and it comes across beautifully here. Dan’s insight meshes with my own understanding of—and love for—travel. I often go to Berlin and stand at the remains of the shattered Wall to remember God has placed the craving for liberty in us all. Travel does that, as Dan reminds us, but he also shows how travel can inspire a prayerful and grateful heart for people of all faiths. As he says, ‘Prayer might be the one form of human communication that cannot be critiqued by anything other than sincere intent.’ This is a book that makes you stop, think, and bend a knee as you enjoy the stories this gifted writer has to tell.”
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<br> —W. James Willis, author of
<i>The Human Journalist</i> and
<i>The 1960s on Film</i>
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<br> “With an open mind, inspired by family heritage and in the accommodating spirit of philosopher Iris Murdoch, Daniel Pawley has undertaken a wonderful journey exploring humanity in general, whose center is the sacred itself. This book is about the presence of the transcendent in human consciousness and the mysterious primordial touch that moves, and has always moved, life and society. It leads us to think of prayer not only as an instrument of the individual’s relationship with this transcendent reality but also as a response to the nourishing, transforming presence of what stands beyond the human realm. It is both a memoir and an indisputable contribution to understanding the noble heritage of prayer.”
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<br> —Maria de Lurdes Ponce, Integrated Researcher, Centre for the Study of Religious History, Catholic University of Portugal
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<br> “The beauty and the peril of these travels leaves you with a mindful view of the world and compels you to contemplate your place in it. Dr. Pawley is the Anthony Bourdain of prayerful travel around the planet. Throughout this work, you will feel as if you have traveled to each place, learning the origins of carefully chosen public prayers as well as the lives of many compelling characters. Each chapter rests at the end with a prayer that soothes the soul and teaches us about the global language of meditation that we would all be wise to continue speaking.”
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<br> —Regina Chow Trammel, coauthor of
<i>A Counselor’s Guide to Christian Mindfulness</i>
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<br> “
<i>Across a Prayerful Planet</i> brings us to an intimate place and a desire for sincerity and sharing. Engaging, insightful, and arousing .&#xa0;.&#xa0;. this journey is one you will not want to miss.”
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<br> —Patricia Johnson, Career Librarian, Pasadena City College, Citrus College
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