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Community: Review in the Houston Chronicle
12/18/2005
The prayers of a nation
James P. Moore Jr. never intended to write a book about prayer.
But he spent a lot of time thinking about the subject after his physician father died unexpectedly eight years ago.
"I was saying to myself that if prayer really represents the most private innermost thoughts of individuals, then it must say something about us as a people and our history," said Moore, a Roman Catholic who had just finished a novena (nine days of prayer) when he got word of his father's death.
"I was absolutely convinced some great books must have been written on the subject. I would run my investment banking firm during the day, and in the evenings I was off to the libraries and trying to find what was out there."
A former assistant secretary of commerce in the Reagan administration, Moore then headed an international investment banking firm based in Washington, D.C. He now teaches international business and corporate ethics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
He was surprised to learn no book had been written about prayer in American history. The Library of Congress "couldn't even find a thesis or dissertation on the history of prayer in America," he said.
But Moore, 52, found plenty of references to prayer and the prayer life of individuals, from Jackie Robinson, Mary Pickford and Elvis Presley to the nation's political leaders.
"It was like a treasure hunt," said Moore, who recently lectured at the University of St. Thomas. "I realized John Quincy Adams had written an incredible number of prayers that had not seen the light of day for more than 100 years.
"I was coming across that (architects) Philip Johnson and Frank Lloyd Wright were building chapels to be able to enhance the experience of prayer. Martha Graham has said she never choreographed a dance in which prayer was not at its heart. I began to see how prayer was making such an extraordinary difference." He gathered more than 30,000 references.
"I came to a fairly dramatic conclusion, and it was simply this: If it were not for prayer, then the social, political, cultural, religious and even the economic and military history of the United States would be far different than it is today."
The result of his research is the recently published One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America (Doubleday, $29.95).
One notable prayer came during a gathering of the United States' founding fathers in September 1774, he said.
"They came together with rumors coming from Boston that the British were essentially firebombing the homes of the patriots who had come to Philadelphia for the meeting," Moore said. "The local priest of the Anglican Church ... came and read the Anglican Psalter of that day, which was Psalm 35: David's Plea to God Against Unjust Enemies.
"John Adams wrote to Abigail Adams to say she couldn't imagine how that electrified the delegates. I have, over the years, read some of the writings of even the obscure founding fathers, and they said how extraordinary that moment was in their personal and professional lives," he said.
"I am not saying that God decided to do something on this day or that day, but just that prayer became an important element on large groups of people as well as individuals who had such an impact on our history," he said.
As important as he believes prayer is, Moore has a warning for "those who are trying to see that prayer becomes a more visible part of our country" today. They should take care that the words of their public prayers do not alienate people of other beliefs, he said.
"Most Christians see Jesus as God. When we use the word 'Lord' or 'God,' we are able to include others who can identify with that kind of prayer. Jesus will understand when his name is not specifically mentioned but the name God is used. That is the kind of sensitivity we have to be aware of. ... So when we are with our Jewish brethren and others who don't share our belief in Jesus, (the words) Lord and God will do just fine."
By RICHARD VARA Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
Community: Store Locator
11/29/2005
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California First Congregational Church of San Francisco 1300 Polk St. San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 441-8901
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Web Site: Review of "The Many Voices of One Nation Under God"
11/23/2005
PBA has assembled one of the exciting collections of American classics found in one place – 23 cuts as diverse as American culture – with the musical prowess to make a person cry and the lyrical beauty that takes one’s breath away.
Can you imagine any other album that includes classical composers Aaron Copland (“Appalachian Spring”) and Leonard Bernstein (“Chichester Psalms”); jazz icons Duke Ellington (“Heaven”) and Dave Brubeck (“How Glorious Is Thy Name”); country stars Loretta Lynn (“Where I Learned to Pray”) and Hank Williams (“I Saw the Light”); black gospel pioneer Rev. James Cleveland (“You’re Not Walking Alone”); and urban rap-star Tupac Shakur (“God”)?
Throw in Hispanic sounds (“Quién Como Tú?”), Native American flutes (“Healing Chant”), and a powerful a capella version of he Africa-American spiritual, “There is a Balm in Gilead,” and you have a compilation worthy of any music library collection in the world.
However the album isn’t flawless. How could any collection of American spiritual classics leave out the “Battle Hymn of the Republic?” But take heart, because this CD is the first in a series of releases planned covering a wide range of American music. The end product will culminate in a PBS-TV special in 2007.
Without a doubt, every American should buy both this powerful long-playing CD and its corresponding book, The History of Prayer in America (Doubleday/Random House) by James Moore Jr.
