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The Psychology of Prayer: A Review of Empirical Research

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International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Religion and Education ((IHRE,volume 3))

Abstract

After years of comparative neglect, a renewed research interest developed in the field of prayer during the mid-1980s and has led to prayer being recognized as of central importance in understanding the role of religion and spirituality in human development and human functioning. In the context of this developing research agenda, the present chapter concentrates on three themes. The first theme focuses on research concerned with the subjective effects of prayer, looking at the correlates of prayer among those who engage in that activity. The second theme focuses on research concerned with the objective effects of prayer, giving particular attention to clinical trials of “prayer treatment”, examining the medical outcomes of patients who do not know that they are being prayed for. The third theme focuses on the content of prayer as a window through which to view the religion and spirituality of ordinary people.

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Biographical details

  • Mrs Tania ap Siôn is Senior Research Fellow at the University of Warwick, UK and Director of the St Mary’s Centre at St Deiniol’s Library, UK.

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  • The Revd Professor Leslie J Francis is Professor of Religions and Education at the University of Warwick, UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. St Mary’s Centre, St Deiniol’s Library, CH5 3DF, Hawarden, Flintshire, UK

    Tania ap Siôn

  2. University of Warwick, UK

    Leslie J. Francis

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  1. Tania ap Siôn
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  2. Leslie J. Francis
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Correspondence to Tania ap Siôn .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National School of Religious Education, Australian Catholic University, 1200 Mair St, Ballarat Campus, 3350, Ballarat, VIC, Australia

    Marian de Souza

  2. Warwick Inst. Education, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK

    Leslie J. Francis

  3. School of Education Studies, Dublin City University, Dublin, Glasnevin, Ireland

    James O’Higgins-Norman

  4. School of Child & Youth Care, University of Victoria, V8W 2Y2, Victoria, BC, Canada

    Daniel Scott

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Siôn, T.a., Francis, L.J. (2009). The Psychology of Prayer: A Review of Empirical Research. In: de Souza, M., Francis, L.J., O’Higgins-Norman, J., Scott, D. (eds) International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing. International Handbooks of Religion and Education, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9018-9_14

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