Why Prayer?

WHY PRAYER?
A Conference on New Directions in the Study of Prayer

February 6 & 7, 2015
Italian Academy, Columbia University, New York, NY

What can the study of prayer tell us about social life, religious institutions and practices, ethical self-formation, and our concepts of communication, both shared and unique? The Social Science Research Council’s Program on Religion and the Public Sphere announces Why Prayer? A Conference on New Directions in the Study of Prayer, a two-day gathering that will showcase the work of over 30 scholars and journalists who have explored these questions and more.

Please join us February 6-7, 2015, for panels and presentations on topics including religious technologies, embodiment, material culture, language, politics, and the mind. Beginning Friday afternoon, the conference will also feature the Prayer Expo—a pop-up installation of multi-media presentations and material objects that call attention to the myriad representations of prayer shaping discourse and practice. On Saturday, two plenary events will highlight the multiple registers of engagement occasioned by new, transdisciplinary research on the practice of prayer.

[download full schedule]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015
9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Prayer Machines Anderson Blanton, Max Planck Institute, Göttingen Leor Halevi, Vanderbilt University John Modern, Franklin and Marshall College Discussant: Fabio Rambelli, University of California, Santa Barbara Moderator: Charles Hirschkind, University of California, Berkeley	Prayer and Embodiment Mark Aveyard, American University of Sharjah Tom Csordas, University of California, San Diego Don Seeman, Emory University Discussant: Kevin Ladd, Indiana University South Bend Moderator: Courtney Bender
11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Covering Prayer A Roundtable on Religion Journalism Moderated by: Sam Freedman, Columbia University and The New York Times Peter Manseau, independent journalist Emma-Kate Symons, independent journalist Christine Wicker, independent journalist Introduction: Diane Winston, University of Southern California	Prayer and the Political I Parvis Ghassem-Fachandi, Rutgers University Sonja Luehrmann, Simon Fraser University Sanal Mohan, Mahatma Gandhi University Fareen Parvez, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Discussant: Matthew Engelke, London School of Economics Moderator: Peter van der Veer, Max Planck Institute, Göttingen
1:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Prayer Expo An exhibit of prayer-centric material artifacts and multimedia presentations.	Film Screening (begins at 1:45 p.m.) And All God’s People Said… Savitri Medhatul, Filmmaker
3:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Prayer Lab A Roundtable on the Psychology of Prayer Moderated by Paul Bloom, Yale University Shira Gabriel, State University of New York, Buffalo Charles Hirschkind, University of California, Berkeley Tanya Luhrmann, Stanford University Introduction: Hazel Markus, Stanford University

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015

9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Prayer Machines

Anderson Blanton, Max Planck Institute, Göttingen
Leor Halevi, Vanderbilt University
John Modern, Franklin and Marshall College
Discussant: Fabio Rambelli, University of California, Santa Barbara
Moderator: Charles Hirschkind, University of California, Berkeley

Prayer and Embodiment

Mark Aveyard, American University of Sharjah
Tom Csordas, University of California, San Diego
Don Seeman, Emory University
Discussant: Kevin Ladd, Indiana University South Bend
Moderator: Courtney Bender

11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Covering Prayer
A Roundtable on Religion Journalism
Moderated by: Sam Freedman, Columbia University and The New York Times

Peter Manseau, independent journalist
Emma-Kate Symons, independent journalist
Christine Wicker, independent journalist
Introduction: Diane Winston, University of Southern California

Prayer and the Political I

Parvis Ghassem-Fachandi, Rutgers University
Sonja Luehrmann, Simon Fraser University
Sanal Mohan, Mahatma Gandhi University
Fareen Parvez, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Discussant: Matthew Engelke, London School of Economics
Moderator: Peter van der Veer, Max Planck Institute, Göttingen

1:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Prayer Expo

An exhibit of prayer-centric material artifacts and multimedia presentations.

Film Screening (begins at 1:45 p.m.)
And All God’s People Said…

Savitri Medhatul, Filmmaker

3:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Prayer Lab
A Roundtable on the Psychology of Prayer Moderated by Paul Bloom, Yale University

Shira Gabriel, State University of New York, Buffalo
Charles Hirschkind, University of California, Berkeley
Tanya Luhrmann, Stanford University
Introduction: Hazel Markus, Stanford University

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Prayer and the Political II Ruth Marshall, University of Toronto Elizabeth McAlister, Wesleyan University Ebenezer Obadare, University of Kansas Discussant: Matthew Engelke, London School of Economics Moderator: Peter van der Veer, Max Planck Institute, Göttingen	Theoretical Expansions and Relationships Fenella Cannell, London School of Economics Sam Gill, University of Colorado Boulder Anna Gade, University of Wisconsin, Madison Discussant: Marion Katz, New York University & Institute for Advanced Study Moderator: Courtney Bender, Columbia University
11:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
PLENARY: Why Prayer? A Roundtable Moderated by Robert Wright, journalist and author Ebenezer Obadare, University of Kansas Robert Orsi, Northwestern University Rebekah Richert, University of California, Riverside Stephen Teiser, Princeton University Introduction: Birgit Meyer, Utrecht University
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Honing the Sensorium in Individual and Collective Prayer: Case Studies from Eastern Orthodox Christianity Daria Dubovka, European University at St. Petersburg Jeffers Engelhardt, Amherst College Jeanne Kormina, Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg Vlad Naumescu, Central European University Simion Pop, Central European University Discussant: Birgit Meyer, Utrecht University	New Frames of Prayer and Sociality Elizabeth Drescher, Santa Clara University Jeremy Ginges, New School for Social Research Nicholas Harkness, Harvard University Discussant: Kevin Ladd, Indiana University South Bend Moderator: Hazel Markus, Stanford University
3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
PLENARY: Old Questions, New Answers Courtney Bender, Columbia University Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Columbia University Kathryn Lofton, Yale University

Presented by the Social Science Research Council, Program on Religion and the Public Sphere,
and the following Columbia University co-sponsors: the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life (IRCPL); the Middle East Institute;
the department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS); and the departments Anthropology and Psychology.

MADE POSSIBLE BY FUNDING FROM THE JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION

You can find more information about the NDSP program here or by emailing us