Carl Clifton Black - The Lords Prayer

Clifton Black has long been regarded as one of our most sensitive and insightful readers of Scripture. Now Professor Black joins Jesus in teaching us how to pray in the name of Jesus. This is a beautiful, encouraging book that pastors and congregations will find quite useful in deepening their prayer life.

Will Willimon, United Methodist Bishop (retired), Professor
of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School,
and author of How Odd of God: Chosen for the Curious
Vocation of Preaching

Clifton Black spreads a feast of learning and thought in this splendid volume on the Lords Prayer. In addition to a rich analysis of the Prayer itself in the context of the Gospels and ancient culture, he shows its theological depth and its ecumenical possibilities. As lagniappe, he provides a glimpse of the history of the interpretation of Jesus prayer. A book valuable both to scholars and pastors.

Luke Timothy Johnson, Robert W. Woodruff Professor
Emeritus of New Testament and Christian Origins,
Emory University

The words are as familiar as any in the language, prayed every day for two thousand years, in gorgeous liturgy, uttered by frightened men and women facing danger, offered at weddings and funerals and by the bedsides of seriously ill patients, whispered before sleep, and commented on by biblical scholars and theologians in every age. Clifton Black has written a consummate and comprehensive, scholarly but accessible book, helpfully placing the Prayer in the context of the Greco-Roman world and the spiritual traditions of first-century Judaism. If you have only one book on the Lords Prayer, this should be itan invaluable resource for thoughtful readers, seekers, and preachers and teachers alike.

John M. Buchanan, Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago
and former Editor/Publisher, The Christian Century

The Lords Prayer is Christs precious gift to the church and world. Wisely, Clifton Black has been entrusted to guide us through it. The Prayer could not be in better hands. Faithful to its purpose, learned in its history of interpretation, and, most of all, pastoral in his exposition, Black leads us through the simple words many of us recite every day. This beautiful book will add a second blessing to the Prayer and help us hear it anew.

Richard Lischer, James T. and Alice Mead Cleland Professor
Emeritus of Preaching at Duke Divinity School and author
of Reading the Parables and Stations of the Heart

Faced with this book on the Lords Prayer, I have three questions. Do I agree with all the interpretations? No, but the range of material discussed here is so rich that I can think about them afresh for myself. Did I go along with all the theology? No, but the larger context here, from the prayers of ancient Greece, Rome, and Israel to those of spiritual and theological giants of every age, has opened my eyes to unguessed treasures. Did it make me want to pray and give me fresh resources to do so? Yes. Abundantly. Thats what matters.

N. T. Wright, former Bishop of Durham and Professor
of New Testament and Early Christianity at
the University of St Andrews, Scotland

Black provides a detailed exegetical commentary on the Lords Prayer, with careful analysis of the difficulties of this beloved and well-known text. At the same time, he offers a rich theological commentary on the Prayer, sensitive to its lengthy history of interpretation and to the challenges facing contemporary Christians. This volume will be a welcome resource for pastors and for theologically engaged students of the New Testament.

Harold W. Attridge, Sterling Professor of Divinity,
Yale Divinity School

The Lords Prayer

INTERPRETATION

Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church

INTERPRETATION

RESOURCES FOR THE USE OF SCRIPTURE IN THE CHURCH

Samuel E. Balentine, Series Editor

Ellen F. Davis, Associate Editor

Richard B. Hays, Associate Editor

Susan E. Hylen, Associate Editor

Brent A. Strawn, Associate Editor

Patrick D. Miller, Consulting Editor

OTHER AVAILABLE BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Markus Bockmuehl, Ancient Apocryphal Gospels

Walter Brueggemann, Money and Possessions

Ronald P. Byars, The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective

Jerome F. D. Creach, Violence in Scripture

Ellen F. Davis, Biblical Prophecy: Perspectives for
Christian Theology, Discipleship, and Ministry

Robert W. Jenson, Canon and Creed

Luke Timothy Johnson, Miracles: Gods Presence and Power in Creation

Richard Lischer, Reading the Parables

Patrick D. Miller, The Ten Commandments

C. CLIFTON BLACK

The Lords Prayer

2018 C. Clifton Black

First edition

Published by Westminster John Knox Press

Louisville, Kentucky

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked JB are from The Jerusalem Bible, copyright 1966, 1967, 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., and Doubleday & Co., Inc. Used by permission of the publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NJB are from The New Jerusalem Bible, copyright 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., and Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Reprinted by permission of the publisher(s).

Scripture quotations marked NJPS are from The TANAKH: The New JPS Translation according to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked REB are from The Revised English Bible, copyright Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1989. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, 1971, and 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.

See page v, Permissions, for other permissions information.

Book design by Drew Stevens

Cover design by designpointinc.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Black, C. Clifton (Carl Clifton), 1955 author.

Title: The Lords Prayer / C. Clifton Black.

Description: First edition. | Louisville, KY : Westminster John Knox Press, 2018. |

Series: Interpretation: resources for the use of Scripture in the church |

Includes bibliographical references and index. |

Identifiers: LCCN 2018036065 (print) | LCCN 2018036574 (ebook) | ISBN 9781611648935 | ISBN 9780664234898 (hbk.)