"Prayer in America" on PBS
January 4, 2008
I watched part of a show on PBS last night, called: “Prayer in America.” Check your local listings (www.PBS.org) to see if this program is available in your area. The following information is from the web site: www.PrayerInAmerica.org:
PRAYER IN AMERICA (airing November 2007 on public television stations) asks the question, What role has prayer played in shaping the development and history of America? The two-part documentary explores contemporary debates about the role of prayer through the lens of history. By asking rhetorically, “How did we get here?” the show examines the ways in which prayer has contributed to and continues to shape the American experience.
The film is inspired by and serves as the companion to Prayer in America (originally published by Doubleday as One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America) by James P. Moore, Jr. In his highly original approach to the history of the United States, Jim Moore suggests that prayer has historically, and through to the present day, been a significant influence on the political, cultural and economic development of the United States.
PRAYER IN AMERICA producers Alison Rostankowski and Chip Duncan explore this thesis through interviews with a wide-ranging group of scholars, writers, and experts on the history of religion and prayer in America. The documentary reflects diverse, and sometimes conflicting, perspectives that inspire viewers to examine the role religion and prayer play in their personal lives, politics, and culture.
PRAYER IN AMERICA is presented in two one-hour segments:
Main Topics for Show One
- American Prayer
- Immigrant Experience and Prayer
- Slavery and Prayer
- The Social Gospel and The Prosperity Gospel and Prayer
- School Prayer
Main Topics for Show Two
- Forgiveness and Prayer
- Science and Prayer
- War and Peace
- Healing and Prayer
- Civil Religion and Prayer
Check out the program and send us your comments. From what I saw, there seemed to be a focus on the different ways people pray, and the different things, or gods, people pray to, and the different reasons people pray, or the different things people pray for or about. But when you discount all the differences, you are left with the simple fact that, no matter how you pray, when, where, why, or who you pray to — or what you pray for — you are doing it with your mind — with mental faculties. Prayer is our way of mentally broadcasting our desires, love, gratitude, etc, into a mental Universe; and we do it because — deep inside — we know it works. Think about it.
The Secret to Unlocking the Power of Prayer is simply this: Think about what IT is that you want. And then, THINK About IT.
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