The fountainhead of all philosophy and religion, teaches Brother David Steindl-Rast, is our sense of amazement at being in the world. To cross the gap between doctrine and the divine, we have been given the gift of prayer. In The Grateful Heart, you will hear Brother David describe prayer not as a dogmatic ritual but as a way of opening to the blessings that await us in everyday life.

Since 1953, when Brother David retreated to the Mount Savior monastery in upstate New York, he has studied what he calls "the lifting up of the human heart and mind to God". In The Grateful Heart, he focuses on the major characteristics of prayer, including: perennial prayer - the inner gesture that is the essence of prayer in all cultures and religions; the evolution and history of prayer, including the "prayer house" movement; and the future of prayer. With a passion for life, Brother David inspires a welcome dialogue that embraces the intellectual as well as the spiritual.