1. Introduction to the Scientific Study of Prayer 2. Prayer in Psychological Perspective 3. The Many Faces of Prayer: Multidimensionality 4. The Individual's Development of Prayer 5. Prayer in Coping and Adjustment 6. Prayer and Health 7. Intercessory Prayer 8. Concluding Perspectives and Possibilities
Bernard Spilka, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the
University of Denver. He has been president of the Colorado
Psychological Association, the Rocky Mountain Psychological
Association, and Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of
Religion and Spirituality) of the American Psychological
Association, and vice president of the Society for the Scientific
Study of Religion. Dr. Spilka is a recipient of the Scholar/Teacher
Award from the United Methodist Church; the William James Award,
Mentoring Award, and Distinguished Service Award from Division 36;
and Distinguished Service Awards from the Colorado and Rocky
Mountain Psychological Associations. Continuing to write
professionally, he is author, coauthor, editor, or coeditor of nine
books, one monograph, and two major federal reports.
Kevin L. Ladd, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Indiana
University South Bend and former pastor of United Methodist and
Presbyterian (PCUSA) congregations. A consulting editor for
journals including the Journal of Social Psychology, Archive for
the Psychology of Religion, and Psychology of Religion and
Spirituality, he also serves on the Board of Directors of the
International Association for the Psychology of Religion. Dr.
Ladd's research on the psychology of prayer has involved
collaborations, publications, and lectures in China, Europe, India,
and South America.
"Kudos to Spilka and Ladd--two premier scientific explorers of the
human religious impulse--for this landmark volume on the psychology
of prayer. The authors serve as expert guides on a tour of prayer’s
varied forms, motivations, transformations across life’s stages,
and emotional and physical benefits."--David G. Myers, PhD,
Department of Psychology, Hope College
"This book is of such high quality that I kept reading it in order
to glean all of its knowledge, insights, and wisdom. Spilka and
Ladd do a superbly honest, careful, and accurate job of squaring
with the evidence on such issues as whether prayer heals, how its
meaning evolves through development, what motivates it, and how it
is mediated by cognitive, physiological, behavioral, and social
psychological processes. This is the authoritative book on a
timeless topic. Very happily, the authors avoid the too sweeping or
simplistic; their suggestions and interpretations are realistic,
sensible, and based on evidence."--Raymond F. Paloutzian, PhD,
Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Westmont College; Editor, The
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion
"Until now, the psychology of religion lacked a systematic
assessment of what is scientifically known about prayer. Two of the
best scholars in the field combine theoretical rigor and
methodological sophistication to provide this masterful review. The
book is filled with wise recommendations for future research that
will avoid the pitfalls that have characterized much of the
empirical research to date. This is truly a much-needed,
authoritative contribution on a topic central to all of the world's
great faith traditions."--Ralph W. Hood, Jr., PhD, Department of
Psychology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
"This is the psychology of religion at its best. Spilka is a
founding father of the field, and he and Ladd have produced a gem
of a book sparkling with the latest scientific information on the
most critical questions about prayer. A remarkably sensitive work
of scholarship, the book succeeds in constructing an empirically
based psychology of prayer without diminishing or explaining away
its value to those who are committed to a life of faith. This book
could be used as a primary text for a graduate seminar or advanced
undergraduate seminar in the psychology of religion and
prayer."--Kenneth I. Pargament, PhD, Department of Psychology
(Emeritus), Bowling Green State University
"Engaging, scholarly, and open minded, this is the first book to
bring together theory and research on the many elements in the
psychological study of prayer. Topics include the
multidimensionality of prayer, intercessory prayer, developmental
issues, and connections to coping and adjustment. This
comprehensive book is essential reading for those interested in
understanding the central role of prayer in the psychology of
religion, and will serve as an important text in both graduate and
undergraduate courses."--Crystal L. Park, PhD, Department of
Psychology, University of Connecticut
"Addressing essential themes, this book offers the best summary
available of psychological research on prayer. Spilka and Ladd
offer fair, thorough coverage--without shying away from
controversial issues--and point out questions that need further
study. This book is very well suited to an undergraduate- or
graduate-level psychology of religion course; students will
appreciate its approachable style."--Michael Nielsen, PhD,
Department of Psychology, Georgia Southern University
"This book offers a hard-nosed yet respectful and sympathetic
treatment of scientific research on prayer. As psychologists,
Spilka and Ladd take scientific methods seriously as they show how
multidimensional and psychologically useful prayer is. Readers will
come away with a greater appreciation of the many ways prayer
affects and is affected by psychology, and a more mature
understanding of the role of prayer in their own and others'
lives."--Everett L. Worthington, Jr., PhD, Department of
Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University -“These authors have
done a tremendous job of pulling together in one small book the
various areas of inquiry concerning the psychology of
prayer.”--PsycCritiques, 10/2/2013ƒƒ“The Psychology of Prayer is
well written and delves deeply into the literature, broadly
covering what all subdisciplines of psychology have discovered on
this important topic that influences most of the world's
population….As someone who has devoted much of his career to the
scientific approach to studying prayer, I found this book to be
very thought provoking and quite comprehensive. It is a must-read
for anyone who wants to research this topic or who wants to become
more familiar with the psychology of prayer.”--Journal for the
Scientific Study of Religion, 9/1/2013
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