Paulist Father Tom Ryan Presents New Book Praying By Hand, Praying with Beads

On June 18, 2019, Fr. Tom Ryan, CSP, director of the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relation and author of 17 books including Interreligious Prayer: A Christian Guide and Christian Unity: How You Can Make a Difference, presented his new book, Praying by Hand, Praying with Beads: A Universal Form of Prayer, at the Paulist mother church, St. Paul the Apostle, in New York, NY.

Praying by Hand, Praying with Beads presents the “what,” “why,” and “how” of beaded prayer in the different traditions of Christian faith and in three of the world’s other major religions. It also aims to strengthen, enrich, or motivate one’s present practice by increasing awareness that around the world, beads are a helpful instrument in prayer.

This devotional landscape, associated mostly in the Christian religion with the Catholic rosary, is now changing remarkably. Various forms of prayer with beads are developing within Anglican/Episcopalian, Lutheran, and Protestant contexts, in addition to the creation of an Ecumenical Miracle Rosary by a Lutheran pastor.

And as our society becomes increasingly pluralistic religiously, it is helpful for members of all faiths to become aware that this is not just something members of their own religion do, but that it is truly a universal form of prayer.

This book examines the spirituality underlying Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim ways of praying with beads. When you come to realize that this isn’t just something that Catholics do, you may be motivated to get yourself beads (or find your old ones) and make a fresh start.         
                 Paulist Press - $16.95