عنوان

Praying Practices

Number

LA115710

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

Praying Practices

General Material Designation

[Article]

First Statement of Responsibility

Joep De Hart, Christine Den Draak, Jacques Janssen, et al.

Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.

Leiden

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Brill

Text of Note

There is very little empirical research about prayer. No convincing psychological theory exists, nor agreement about definitions and basic concepts. In the research which we conducted, open-ended questions were used to detect the meaning of prayer for modern youth. A computerized procedure (TexTable) was used to analyse the answers. The results show that the common prayer of youth can be summarized in one sentence, composed of 7 structural elements: 'because of some reason (1. need) I address (2. action) myself to someone or something (3. direction) at a particular moment (4. time), at a particular place (5. place), in a particular way (6. method) to achieve something (7. effect)'. These structural elements and their contents (several needs, various kinds of actions etc.: totalling 45 categories) were analysed for praying-frequency and denomination. The correlations between the structural elements pointed to a rather weak connection between needs, actions and effects. This could be clarified by applying Clifford Geertz' constructionist definition of religion to a definition of prayer. Praying was described as a coping strategy, mostly used to make things acceptable as they are (e.g. death and suffering) but sometimes also as a motivational device or an anticipatory action to change things according to one's wishes (e.g. the praying athlete). There is very little empirical research about prayer. No convincing psychological theory exists, nor agreement about definitions and basic concepts. In the research which we conducted, open-ended questions were used to detect the meaning of prayer for modern youth. A computerized procedure (TexTable) was used to analyse the answers. The results show that the common prayer of youth can be summarized in one sentence, composed of 7 structural elements: 'because of some reason (1. need) I address (2. action) myself to someone or something (3. direction) at a particular moment (4. time), at a particular place (5. place), in a particular way (6. method) to achieve something (7. effect)'. These structural elements and their contents (several needs, various kinds of actions etc.: totalling 45 categories) were analysed for praying-frequency and denomination. The correlations between the structural elements pointed to a rather weak connection between needs, actions and effects. This could be clarified by applying Clifford Geertz' constructionist definition of religion to a definition of prayer. Praying was described as a coping strategy, mostly used to make things acceptable as they are (e.g. death and suffering) but sometimes also as a motivational device or an anticipatory action to change things according to one's wishes (e.g. the praying athlete).

Date of Publication

1989

Physical description

28-39

Title

Journal of Empirical Theology

Volume Number

2/1

International Standard Serial Number

1570-9256

Christine Den Draak

Jacques Janssen

Joep De Hart

Call Number

10.1163/157092589X00103

Electronic name

p

[Article]

275578

a

Y