ethics than the spiritual life. While obviously petition is not the only form of prayer it
is the overarching means since no one can present “himself as worthy or of presenting
anything worthy to God.” Therefore, petition is representative of coming before God
with “empty hands.”^94 Barth’s reference to Ignatius of Loyola is particularly
damaging to the nature of spiritual practices:
If by devotions we mean this simple thing, then we may understand prayer as
a devotional exercise. But if by devotion we mean an exercise in the
cultivation of the soul or spirit, i.e., the attempt to intensify and deepen
ourselves, to purify and cleanse ourselves inwardly, to attain clarity and selfcontrol, and finally to set ourselves on a good footing and in agreement with -
the deity by this preparation, then it is high time we realized that not merely
have we not even begun to pray or prepared ourselves for prayer, but that we
have actually turned away from what is commanded us as prayer. This type of
exercise, as evolved and prescribed by Ignatius Loyola for his pupils and as
variously recommended in modern secular religion, can perform a useful
function as a means of psychical hygiene, but it has nothing whatever to do
with the prayer required of us. Prayer begins where this kind of exercise leaves off; and this exercise must leave off where the prayer begins in which
neither the collected man nor the distraught, neither the deepened nor the
superficial, neither the purified and cleansed nor the impure, and not even the
clear and strong, has anything whatever to represent or offer to God, but
everything to ask of him.^95
Leaving aside the question as to whether this is an accurate description of Ignatius of
Loyola,^96 it clearly depicts Barth’s animosity to other expressions of prayer. More
succinctly he declares, “wordless prayer ... cannot be regarded as true prayer.”^97
Isaac Ambrose would radically disagree with his very narrow assessment of
“devotional exercise” since Media was devoted to cultivating spiritual practices to
assist a person in the process of sanctification.
(^94) Barth, CD III/4, 97.
(^95) Barth, CD III/4, 97-8.
(^96) It is difficult to gauge Barth’s first-hand knowledge of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises.
However, this distorted attack suggests that either he had not read them or grossly
misunderstood them. Aside from this blistering assault there are only two references
to Ignatius in the (^97) Barth, CD III/4, 112.CD. See CD IV/2 and 12, IV/3, 23.