{"id":80779,"date":"2021-04-13T00:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-13T07:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/?p=80779"},"modified":"2021-04-13T01:48:37","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T08:48:37","slug":"pwj-s4e54","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/2021\/04\/13\/pwj-s4e54\/","title":{"rendered":"PWJ: S4E54 \u2013 TSL 27 \u2013 &#8220;Say a little prayer for you&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E54-TSL-27-YouTube.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E54-TSL-27-YouTube.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E54-TSL-27-YouTube.png 860w, https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E54-TSL-27-YouTube-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E54-TSL-27-YouTube-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 860px) 100vw, 860px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fr. Michael O&#8217;Loughlin from <a href=\"https:\/\/whatgodisnot.buzzsprout.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;What God is Not&#8221;<\/a> returns to the podcast to discuss today&#8217;s letter, which Screwtape devotes to the subject of prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>S4E54: &#8220;Say a little prayer for you&#8221;<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/PWJ-S4E54.mp3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/PWJ-S4E54.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-51396fab-e50d-4cf5-92e3-e840026c934b\">If you enjoy this episode, you can subscribe&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/TheEagleAndChildPodcast\" target=\"_blank\">manually<\/a>, or&nbsp;any place where good podcasts can be found&nbsp;(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-eagle-and-child-podcast-restless-pilgrim\/id1289456381\" target=\"_blank\">iTunes<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/m\/Ixvobfgi2wk4rkdegdnbdqjjh44?t=The_Eagle_and_Child\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a>, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Pints-with-Jack\/dp\/B08K57WLYB\/\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/podcast-detail\/wqkqe-5e798\/The+Eagle+and+Child\" target=\"_blank\">Podbean<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/s?fid=159766&amp;refid=stpr\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tunein.com\/radio\/The-Eagle-and-Child-p1079872\/\" target=\"_blank\">TuneIn<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/overcast.fm\/itunes1289456381\/pints-with-jack\" target=\"_blank\">Overcast<\/a>), as well as on&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCcYFlFuyOmYL6LcuicqzULw\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a>. The roadmap for Season 4 is&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/pints-with-jack-season-4\/\">available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-a56ad4a8-f43a-4986-8d5f-09ffa487daa4\">More information about us can be found on our website,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pintswithjack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">PintsWithJack.com<\/a>. If you\u2019d like to support us and get fantastic gifts,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/pintswithjack\">please join us on Patreon<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-2882b493-f1aa-48ab-8db6-3c40f02265fc\">Timestamps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">00:00 \u2013 Entering \u201cThe Eagle &amp; Child\u201d\u2026 <br>00:13 \u2013 Welcome <br>00:55 \u2013 Chit-Chat <br>05:38 \u2013 Song-of-the-week <br>06:10 \u2013 Quote-of-the-week <br>06:43 \u2013 Drink-of-the-week <br>07:33 \u2013 Chapter Summary <br>08:25 \u2013 Discussion <br>53:07 \u2013 Unscrewing Screwtape <br>56:08 \u2013 \u201cLast Call\u201d Bell and Closing Thoughts<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-256e7e4a-897b-43e2-a2ed-609bf087c84b\">YouTube Version<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-_jJ683EE9k?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-a885e324-ccf9-42f2-9e03-3f3eb5dc7d6b\">After Show Skype Session<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-27508392-5bf9-4ea7-9a6d-34a4e3476c70\">Show Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chit-Chat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Fr. Michael had been reading the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Lenten-Triodion-Mother-Maria\/dp\/1878997513\" target=\"_blank\">Lenten Triodion<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Song-of-the-week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Today\u2019s letter is all about prayer and time. Listener John Marr sent us the following suggestions:&nbsp;<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Q2g0hrrKLNw\">\u201cTime Passages\u201d<\/a> Al Stewart&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9GuA5PZx3K4\">\u201cUnanswered Prayers\u201d<\/a> by Garth Brooks (very nearly won out!)<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>In the end I went with the Queen of Soul, Miss Aretha Franklin and&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KtBbyglq37E\">\u201cSay a little prayer for you\u201d<\/a>&#8230; since she\u2019s not only talking about prayer, but petitionary prayer, which Screwtape concentrates on in this episode.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KtBbyglq37E?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quote-of-the-week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u2026use the \u201cheads I win, tails you lose\u201d argument. If the thing he prays for doesn\u2019t happen, then that is one more proof that petitionary prayers don\u2019t work; \u2026 if it does happen, he will, of course, be able to see some of the physical causes which led up to it, and \u201ctherefore it would have happened anyway\u201d, \u2026 \u2026and thus a granted prayer becomes just as good a proof as a denied one that prayers are ineffective.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drink-of-the-week<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The drink-of-the-week is a Great Fast-friendly Green tea and Fr. Michael was drinking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodearth.com\/collections\/sweet-spicy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Good Earth Sweet and Spicy<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Summary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Letter #27 was first published in The Guardian on 31st October, 1941. Here\u2019s David\u2019s one-hundred word summary:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Wormwood has been distracting the patient in prayer, but failed as he knows he\u2019s distracted and praying about that! Screwtape says his petitionary prayers must be disrupted\u2026<br><br>&#8230;by raising intellectual difficulties <br>\u2026and encouraging him to think of them as crude. <br><br>Since he\u2019s unlikely to stop entirely, he must adopt the mindset whereby he disbelieves in their efficacy, regardless of results. In reference to prayer, Screwtape explains that God is outside time, something taught in old books, but only scholars read those, and even they fail to benefit because they never actually ask if what they are reading is true.<\/p><cite>Chapter Summary of Letter #27<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-27508392-5bf9-4ea7-9a6d-34a4e3476c70\">Discussion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Failing to distract<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape says that his nephew is making very little progress. Wormwood had been trying to use the patient\u2019s budding romance to distract him during prayer, but Screwtape says he\u2019s doing it badly&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;the whole question of distraction and the wandering mind has now become one of the chief subjects of his prayers.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape says that this is the sign that Wormwood has failed!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>A better strategy<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape says that when distracting thoughts cross the patient\u2019s mind, Wormwood should encourage him to thrust the thoughts away by sheer will power&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;once he accepts the distraction as his present problem and lays that before the Enemy and makes it the main theme of his prayers\u2026&nbsp; then, so far from doing good, you have done harm.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>He wants the patient to \u201cwhite-knuckle it\u201d rather than actually make a subject in his prayer, because when he does that, he recognizes his need and gets into contact with God. Screwtape ends this first section with a wonderful line&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Anything, even a sin, which has the total effect of moving him close up to the Enemy, makes against us in the long run.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Petitionary prayer &#8211; Intellectual Difficulties<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape explains that, due to his budding romance, the patient has new urgency in his prayer requests. Screwtape thinks there\u2019s some more promising work to be done here. He tells his Nephew to start raising intellectual difficulties regarding petitionary prayer.<ul><li>Can we really change God\u2019s mind?<\/li><li>What do we understand about unanswered prayer?<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Petitionary prayer &#8211; Nurture false spirituality<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>So, Screwtape\u2019s first suggestion is to raise intellectual difficulties concerning petitionary prayers. He also talks about encouraging a false spirituality. I get the impression that he wants the patient to look down on petitionary prayers as rather crude\u2026.&nbsp;<\/li><li>God has clearly told us to pray for our daily bread and recovery of the sick, but Screwtape wants us to avoid this aspect of prayer, restricting himself just to praise of God.&nbsp;<\/li><li>He doesn\u2019t want the patient to realize that no matter how much one tries to \u201cspiritualize\u201d prayers for \u201cdaily bread\u201d, it\u2019s still a petitionary prayer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Heads I Win\/Tails You Lose<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape says that the patient has unfortunately developed habits of&nbsp; obedience, so he doesn\u2019t hold out much hope for Wormwood getting him to abandon petitionary prayers entirely, so Screwtape presents a strategy for getting him to disbelieve in their efficacy. He tells him to&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;use the \u201cheads I win, tails you lose\u201d argument. If the thing he prays for doesn\u2019t happen, then that is one more proof that petitionary prayers don\u2019t work; if it does happen, he will, of course, be able to see some of the physical causes which led up to it, and \u201ctherefore it would have happened anyway\u201d, and thus a granted prayer becomes just as good a proof as a denied one that prayers are ineffective.&nbsp;<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Fr. Michael referenced a wonderful book, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Everywhere-Present-Stephen-Freeman-audio\/dp\/B07DQTW1X9\" target=\"_blank\">Everywhere Present<\/a> by Stephen Freeman.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>God sometimes says no&#8230; I think a lot of the problems related to the efficacy of prayer among some Christians is that they can\u2019t countenance the idea that God would deny them their request, regardless of the request. You find this among the \u201cProsperity Gospel\u201d folks who love to quote Jeremiah 29 out of context&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>For I know the plans I have for you,\u201d declares the LORD, \u201cplans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. <\/p><cite>Jeremiah 29:11<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Here\u2019s what Lewis wrote in the essay collection \u201cWorld\u2019s Last Night\u201d, in a piece called \u201cThe Efficacy of Prayer\u201d:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Prayer is request. The essence of request, as distinct from compulsion, is that it may or may not be granted. And if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of finite and foolish creatures, of course He will sometimes grant and sometimes refuse them\u201d <\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, World\u2019s Last Night (\u201cThe Efficacy of Prayer\u201d)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Lewis wrote something similar in his heartbreaking book, A Grief Observed, after pouring out all his questions to God about the death of his wife&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>When I lay these questions before God I get no answer. But a rather special sort of &#8216;No answer&#8217;. It is not the locked door. It is more like a silent, certainly not uncompassionate, gaze. As though He shook His head not in refusal but waiving the question. Like, &#8216;Peace, child; you don&#8217;t understand.&#8217;<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>It\u2019s not an answer which is entirely satisfying&#8230;but it does give me some piece.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Time and timeless<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape says that Wormwood won\u2019t understand how the patient can be this gullible, to fall for the \u201cHeads I Win\/Tails You Lose\u201d scenario, interpreting both success and failure of petitions as proof that petitionary prayer doesn\u2019t work. Screwtape attributes this to the fact that humans live in time and they think God does too\u2026<\/li><li>Screwtape then tackles the question of predestination and free will. This subject is a big can of worms, reconciling the two. There are a few different models which try and deal with this\u2026 Arminianism, Calvinism, and Open Theism. Here\u2019s what Lewis wrote in a letter on 3rd August, 1953:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>I think we must take a leaf out of the scientists\u2019 book. They are quite familiar with the fact that for example, Light has to be regarded both as a wave and as a stream of particles. No one can make these two views consistent. Of course reality must be self-consistent; but till (if ever) we can see the consistency it is better to hold two inconsistent views than to ignore one side of the evidence. The real inter-relation between God\u2019s omnipotence and Man\u2019s freedom is something we can\u2019t find out\u201d <\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, Letter (3rd August, 1953)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>God being out-of-time helps towards solving this since Screwtape says that God includes our prayers today as one of the innumerable factors in guiding events of the future. Screwtape says that if the patient was told this it wouldn\u2019t do much good&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>&#8230;he would reply that then the Enemy always knew men were going to make those prayers and, if so, they did not pray freely but were predestined to do so. And he would add that the weather on a given day can be traced back through its causes to the original creation of matter itself \u2014 so that the whole thing, both on the human and on the material side, is given \u201cfrom the word go\u201d.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape points out that this is all just because the patient projects his own way of perceiving reality onto God&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>the Enemy does not foresee the humans making their free contributions in a future, but sees them doing so in His unbounded Now. And obviously to watch a man doing something is not to make him do it.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Listeners will remember that Lewis spoke about this in <em>Mere Christianity<\/em> which we looked at back in Season 1. He talks about picturing time as a straight line on a page, along which we have to travel. While we encounter moments successively, God sees the whole page at once.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>If you picture Time as a straight line along which we have to travel, then you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn. We come to the parts of the line one by one: we have to leave A behind before we get to B, and cannot reach C until we leave B behind. God, from above or outside or all round, contains the whole line, and sees it all.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Book IV, Chapter 3)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong>Hidden in Old Books<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape explains how Christian philosophers have historically explained all this by God being out-of-time. He calls out one author whom Lewis loved who did this, Boethius, a 5th\/6th Century Roman philosopher and statesman.&nbsp;<ul><li>He wrote <em>The Consolation of Philosophy <\/em>in 524 AD while he was imprisoned by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great.&nbsp;<\/li><li>In the Discarded Image, Lewis described that book as \u201cone of the most influential books ever written in Latin\u201d and listed it in his top ten books which most shaped his philosophy of life.<\/li><li>&#8230;and in that work, Boethius explored the question of free will and predestination.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Screwtape isn\u2019t too worried that Christian philosophers have written about this&#8230;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Only the learned read old books and we have now so dealt with the learned that they are of all men the least likely to acquire wisdom by doing so.<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Screwtape says that they\u2019ve achieved this using the Historical Point of View:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The Historical Point of View, put briefly, means that when a learned man is presented with any statement in an ancient author, the one question he never asks is whether it is true. He asks who influenced the ancient writer, and how far the statement is consistent with what he said in other books, and what phase in the writer\u2019s development&#8230; <br><br>To regard the ancient writer as a possible source of knowledge \u2014 to anticipate that what he said could possibly modify your thoughts or your behaviour \u2014 this would be rejected as unutterably simpleminded&#8230; it is most important thus to cut every generation off from all others&#8230;  But thanks be to our Father and the Historical Point of View, great scholars are now as little nourished by the past as the most ignorant mechanic who holds that \u201chistory is bunk\u201d<\/p><cite>C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Letter #27)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The \u201cignorant mechanic\u201d here is Henry Ford, the 19th\/20th Century producer of motorcars. In an interview with the <em>Chicago Tribute<\/em> he said:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>History is more or less bunk. We don\u2019t want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker\u2019s dam is the history we made today.<\/p><cite>Henry Ford, Chicago Tribune (25th May, 1916)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Unscrewing Screwtape<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Do not\u2026 <\/strong>try to push away distractions by force during prayer<\/li><li><strong>Do\u2026<\/strong> bring everything to prayer<\/li><li><strong>Do not\u2026<\/strong> think you can hide anything from God<\/li><li><strong>Do not<\/strong>\u2026give up on petitionary prayer<\/li><li><strong>Do\u2026<\/strong> get excited about unanswered prayer!<\/li><li><strong>Do not<\/strong>&#8230;think of God in human terms<\/li><li><strong>Do<\/strong>\u2026 read old books<br><strong>Do<\/strong>\u2026 read more Lewis, Chesterton, and Church Fathers<\/li><li><strong>Do not\u2026<\/strong> ignore the question of truth as you read<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fr. Jeffrey Doyle<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"860\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n-xuFWxlT-8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent&#038;listType=playlist&#038;list=PLG_zqUgLKJKAD5xCeISaSMjoPjBpa-1u8\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fr. Michael O&#8217;Loughlin from &#8220;What God is Not&#8221; returns to the podcast to discuss today&#8217;s letter, which Screwtape devotes to the subject of prayer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3111],"tags":[1914,2969,3857,4430,118,4438,5840],"class_list":["post-80779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-c-s-lewis","tag-featured","tag-fr-michael-oloughlin","tag-pints-with-jack","tag-prayer","tag-the-eagle-and-child-podcast","tag-what-god-is-not"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/S4E454-Blog.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80779"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80839,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80779\/revisions\/80839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restlesspilgrim.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}