Prayer and subjective well-being: The application of a cognitive-behavioural framework

Maltby, John; Lewis, Christopher Alan; Day, Liza

doi:10.1080/13674670701485722

Cited by 51 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Three of four adults pray on a daily or weekly basis, and half report that they “receive a definite answer to a specific prayer request” at least once a year (Pew Forum ). Researchers from a variety of fields report that individual prayer predicts higher subjective well‐being (Maltby, Lewis, and Day ), lower risk of depression (Denny ), and greater optimism about the future (Ai et al. ).…”

Section: The Prevalence and Efficacy Of Intercessory Prayermentioning

confidence: 99%

Close Ties, Intercessory Prayer, and Optimism Among American Adults: Locating God in the Social Support Network

Schafer

2013

Scientific Study of Religion

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Prayer is often an interpersonal phenomenon. It represents not only a form of social support shared between or among people, but also a means of embedding an unobservable actor (God) within a conventionally observable social network. This study considers whether the receipt of intercessory prayer from close network ties is associated with future‐oriented well‐being. Analyses use social network module data from the Portraits of American Life Study (PALS), a nationally representative study of American adults containing a breadth of information not available in prior studies of networks, prayer, and well‐being. Despite experiencing more instances of recent adversity (mental or physical health problem, financial trouble, and unemployment), prayed‐for PALS respondents report the highest levels of optimism. Furthermore, the association between network prayer and optimism is robust to inclusion of individual‐level indicators of religiosity. Finally, other forms of social support that an individual receives from his or her close ties do not explain the benefits of intercessory prayer.

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Section: The Prevalence and Efficacy Of Intercessory Prayermentioning

confidence: 99%

Close Ties, Intercessory Prayer, and Optimism Among American Adults: Locating God in the Social Support Network

Schafer

2013

Scientific Study of Religion

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“…Petitionary prayer correlated negatively with the ''receptive-no agent'' style of coping only. Maltby, Lewis, and Day (2008) examined the relationship between prayer and subjective well-being, within the context of a cognitive-behavioural framework. A sample of 173 British adults completed the Measure of Prayer Activity (Poloma & Pendleton, 1991) and the General Health Questionnaire-28 (Goldberg & Williams, 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prayer and mental health: An introduction to this special issue ofMental Health, Religion & Culture

Lewis

Breslin

Dein

2008

Mental Health, Religion & Culture

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“…Despite lack of evidence for the medical efficacy of intercessory prayer, high regard for the power of prayer as a general personal practice may be more justified, based upon its substantial positive effects on subjective well-being 39 and interpersonal relations, 40 its association with healthy behaviour, 41 and the genuinely dramatic health improvements that it can facilitate through the placebo effect. 42 These benefits foreshadow aspects of the 'Normal/Objective Dilemma' which will be discussed later.…”

Section: 'Medical Miracles' and Intercessory Prayermentioning

confidence: 99%

The Common-Core/Diversity Dilemma: Revisions of Humean thought, New Empirical Research, and the Limits of Rational Religious Belief

Thornhill-Miller

Millican

2015

EJPR

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Abstract. This paper is the product of an interdisciplinary, interreligious dialogue aiming to outline some of the possibilities and rational limits of supernatural religious belief, in the light of a critique of David Hume's familiar sceptical arguments -including a rejection of his famous Maxim on miraclescombined with a range of striking recent empirical research. The Humean nexus leads us to the formulation of a new 'Common-Core/Diversity Dilemma' (CCDD), which suggests that the contradictions between different religious belief systems, in conjunction with new understandings of the cognitive forces that shape their common features, persuasively challenge the rationality of most kinds of supernatural belief. In support of this conclusion, we survey empirical research concerning intercessory prayer, religious experience, near-death experience, and various cognitive biases (e.g. agency detection, theory of mind, egocentric and confirmation bias). But we then go on to consider evidence that supernaturalism -even when rationally unwarranted -has significant beneficial individual and social effects, despite others (such as tribalism) that are far less desirable. This prompts the formulation of a 'Normal/Objective Dilemma' (NOD), identifying important trade-offs to be found in the choice between our humanly evolved 'normal' outlook on the world, and one that is more rational and 'objective' . Can we retain the pragmatic benefits of supernatural belief while avoiding irrationality and intergroup conflict? It may well seem that rationality is incompatible with any wilful sacrifice of objectivity (and we appreciate the force of this austere view). But in a situation of uncertainty, an attractive compromise may be available by moving from the competing factions and mutual contradictions of 'first-order' supernaturalism to a more abstract and tolerant 'second-order' view, which itself can be given some distinctive (albeit controversial) intellectual support through the increasingly popular Fine Tuning Argument. We end by proposing a 'Maxim of the Moon' to express the undogmatic spirit of this second-order religiosity, providing a cautionary

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Prayer and subjective well-being: The application of a cognitive-behavioural framework

Cited by 51 publications

References 12 publications

Close Ties, Intercessory Prayer, and Optimism Among American Adults: Locating God in the Social Support Network

Close Ties, Intercessory Prayer, and Optimism Among American Adults: Locating God in the Social Support Network

Prayer and mental health: An introduction to this special issue ofMental Health, Religion & Culture

The Common-Core/Diversity Dilemma: Revisions of Humean thought, New Empirical Research, and the Limits of Rational Religious Belief

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