What are we really doing when we pray? Are we communicating with God or merely talking things over with ourselves? If you've ever asked yourself questions like these, this book is for you.In it, a distinguished theologian explores the dynamics of prayer: what it is, what it isn't, and how various kinds of personal and corporate prayer work to bring us into the presence of God.

What if we ask questions concerning sin and redemption outside of the religious or theological milieu? After all, ""sin"" functions something like religious code language for that which is problematic in human existence. But all humans deal with our fragility and our penchant for harming ourselves or others, and all humans seek to resolve these issues. Might the religious community learn from those outside our gates? Accordingly, in this book a theologian seeks to gain insight from the way seven outstanding filmmakers of our time set up the problems of human existence and seek to resolve them...