Across a Prayerful Planet

Daniel Pawley has a PhD in ethics and practical theology from the University of Edinburgh and is a retired professor of media studies, a published author, and a former journal editor. He lives with his wife in Lisbon, Portugal, where he serves St. Andrews Church as an ordained elder. His journeys combining travel and prayer continue.

In our mobile world, travel memoirs are a staple. And books about prayer line the shelves of readers who seek to grow spiritually through the timeless practice of conversing with God. But books combining travel with prayer are rare, and it is within this void that Daniel Pawley's masterful memoir of traveling the world, with prayer as its backdrop, establishes itself as an essential companion to both subjects. Starting with a travel/prayer template bequeathed in childhood by his parents, Pawley then recalls life-altering experiences as an adult in fifty locations spread across six continents, each illuminated by the soulful prayers of ancient and modern seekers. Inspired stops in places like exotic Bali and raucous Morocco, as well as pain-framed settings such as Chernobyl and Auschwitz, combine to weave a tapestry seen more vibrantly in prayer's revealing light. The result is a narrative of prayer's mysterious ability to provide hope and stabilizing faith in a world threatened by hate, division, and unbelief.