Introduction Peter van der Veer 1. The politics of prayer books: Delegated intercession, names, and community boundaries in the Russian Orthodox Church Sonja Luehrmann 2. Prayer and pedagogy: Redefining education among Salafist Muslim women in France Z. Fareen Parvez 3. Creation of social space through prayers among Dalits in Kerala, India Sanal Mohan 4. Mimetic failure: Politics, prayer and possession Parvis Ghassem-Fachandi 5. The Muslim response to the Pentecostal surge in Nigeria: Prayer and the rise of charismatic Islam Ebenezer Obadare 6. Destroying arguments and captivating thoughts: Spiritual warfare prayer as global praxis Ruth Marshall 7. The militarization of prayer in America: White and Native American spiritual warfare Elizabeth McAlister