Ahura MazdāAhura Mazdā, symbol from a doorway of the main hall of the Council Hall, Persepolis, Iran.Courtesy of The Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago
Conclusion
Though historians of religion, psychologists, and anthropologists debate various theories concerned with the origin of prayer, the act of prayer itself is of great significance to the believers of all religions, whatever their inspiration, revealed or otherwise. Ludwig Feuerbach, a 19th-century German philosopher, summed up the significance of prayer when he stated, “The most intimate essence of religion is revealed by the most simple religious act: prayer.”
Ludwig Feuerbach.Archiv für Kunst und Geschichte, Berlin
As a religious phenomenon, prayer—in terms of its evolution—appears to be neither universally progressive nor progressively regressive. Its great moments and the appearance of men of prayer at various times, whether simple men or men of genius, are found throughout its long history, which thus marks it as a significant and characteristic element of most, if not all, religions. Whether halting or mystical, ceremonial or personal, prayer expresses the experience of a mystery that envelops and surpasses humanity. In the presence of that mystery, prayer seeks and establishes dialogue. Adalbert G. Hamman
Citation Information
Article Title: Prayer
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 19 October 2015
URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/prayer
Access Date: August 27, 2019
Additional Reading
The classical work is still that of F. Heiler, Das Gebet, 5th ed. (1923), which includes a bibliography and defends the theory of religious syncretism. R. Boccassino (ed.), La preghiera, 3 vol. (1967), is a historical and psychological study of prayer and includes a useful bibliography. G. van der Leeuw, Phänomenologie der Religion (1933; Eng. trans., Religion in Essence and Manifestation, 1963), is an excellent overview and general introduction of the psychology of prayer. Also of a psychological bent are William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902); and H.U. von Balthasar, Das betrachtende Gebet (1955; Eng. trans., Prayer, 1961). For prayer in various religions, in addition to La preghiera, one should refer to M.P. Nilsson, Geschichte der griechischen Religion, 2 vol. (1941–50; Eng. trans., A History of Greek Religion, 2nd ed., 1963); A. Falkenstein and W. von Soden, Summerische und akkadische Hymnen und Gebete (1953); G.C. Lounsbery, La Méditation bouddhique (1935; Eng. trans., Buddhist Meditation in the Southern School, 1950); E. Conze, Buddhist Meditation (1956); and R.C. Zaehner, The Teachings of the Magi (1956) and The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism (1961). For a bibliography on biblical prayer, see “Prière,” Dictionnaire de la Bible, suppl. 8, pp. 604–606 (1968). I. Elbogen, Der jüdische Gottesdienst in seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung, 4th ed. (1962), is a classic on Jewish prayer. This can be supplemented by A.Z. Idelsohn, Jewish Liturgy and Its Development (1967). On the origins of Christian prayer, see A. Hamman, La Prière, 2 vol. (1959–63). Kenneth Leech, True Prayer (1980), is an Anglo-Catholic introduction to Christian spirituality.