Praying by the Rules

Building on the interest in autism theology, Praying by the Rules explicitly demonstrating what this can contribute to theological discourse of the mainstream Church. Working with 18 autistic Christians to build a phenomenological account of why autistic people feel anxious about their prayer lives, Helena Cundill places their experiences in dialogue with the existing corpus of theological works on prayer. By examining autistic accounts of prayer, she explores the anxiety that can arise from feeling that one’s prayer life if not “good enough” and how shame arises when one’s practice of prayer does not match the ideals embodied by the Church’s teaching, theological writings on prayer and traditions. Three particular ‘ideals’ of prayer are discussed: the ideal of praying every day, praying either in words or in perfectly silent contemplation, and the (sometimes competing) ideals around prayers of intercession. Autistic accounts of prayer can reveal the church’s latent assumptions, and autistic and non-autistic members alike will benefit from understanding autistic experience in this area, who are willing to share about the difficulties that they have with praying, and often find creative solutions to their difficulties. A reflection on the idea of having a “rule of life” for prayer closes the book. Cundill invites Christians to be more open and honest in dialogue with each other about what forms the “rules” in churches and Christian communities, reflecting on how the raw honesty and lived wisdom of autistic people can enrich the church’s discourse around prayer.