“God of Holy Dreaming”: A Retrospective Appreciation of an Aboriginal Prayer and Spirituality in A Prayer Book for Australia
Fergus J. King, Lenore Margaret Porter
Journal of Anglican Studies March 31, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1017/s174035532610093x via OpenAlex
Summary
Revd Auntie Lenore Parker reflects on the thirtieth anniversary of her prayer 'God of Holy Dreaming' in the Anglican Prayer Book for Australia. She examines the dreaming process that inspired this prayer and compares the significance of dreams in Aboriginal culture to their role in early Christian texts. This analysis questions how these experiences are perceived within Christian theology and spirituality, especially given modern Western resistance to such phenomena.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | The article raises questions about the valuation of dreams and visions in Christian theology and spirituality, particularly in light of modern resistance to these experiences. |
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Abstract
Abstract 2025 sees the thirtieth anniversary of Revd Auntie Lenore Parker’s ‘God of Holy Dreaming’ being included in the Anglican Prayer Book for Australia. In this article, she explores and describes the dreaming process which birthed this prayer. The analysis which follows compares the value of dreams in aboriginal culture with the privileged place given to dreams and visions as altered states of consciousness in the foundational texts of emerging Christianity. This comparison raises the question of how such experiences may be valued within Christian theology and spirituality, not least because Western and Northern resistance to such phenomena in the modern period has made such visions seem suspect.