Louisville Process Theology Network

How Prayers Are Answered, IV

Sep 02, 2005

More than 50 years ago, Henry Nelson Wieman expressed similar ideas in philosophical terms. Wieman was a "process" theologian at the University of Chicago. He wrote, "The act of prayer, when it is genuine, puts us under the control of that Creativity which makes us more sensitive and responsive to those around us and they reciprocally become more responsive to our interests. This deepening and widening of community wherein we are more responsive to one another is what answers prayers."

Wieman saw Creativity as the creative process of God that is everywhere in the universe and operating in people and groups of people. Prayer is our effort to consciously cooperate with that creative process.

Wieman's confident conclusion startled many of his students, colleagues, and readers of his numerous books. He said often that he was certain all genuine prayers are answered. As he wrote, "The understanding of prayer is the understanding of its answer, for prayer is meaningless unless it is answered."