As a non-observant Jew, I don't speak with authority on this
matter, but its certainly true that we don't on the whole
kneel during worship. The only exception that I can think
of occurs on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when we
symbolically come into the presence of God and do kneel-at
least I think so- at certain points in the service.
Still on this theme, it's struck me before now that there is
a tension around this issue in the early sources on
St.Francis's life- Spirituals insisting that he always
prayed standing up, Conventuals that he didn't (or is it the
other way round?). Dominican novices were given clear
instructions on St. Dominic's manner of Praying, which
included both kneeling and standing methods (See arts by
Hood, Trexler)... why was this a contested issue for
Franciscans?
Laura Jacobus
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