NEH Enduring Questions Course on "What Does Prayer Do?"
The development by two faculty members of a general education course for undergraduate students that asks, What does prayer do?
The practice of prayer seems to stretch back to human pre-history, yet an understanding of prayer remains oddly elusive. This interdisciplinary course, planned as part of Le Moyne's Core curriculum, explores some aspects of that puzzle by asking what prayer does, or is intended to do. The class is designed to lead students through a range of approaches to that question, approaches drawn from the humanities (philosophy, religious studies, theology, poetry), the performing arts (music and dance), and the natural and social sciences (medicine, psychology, sociology, constitutional law). Some of our sources are prayers or texts by those who pray, others take a skeptical approach, and still others are neutral as to prayer's effectiveness. Readings will be supplemented by an annual public lecture funded by Le Moyne's McDevitt Center for Creativity and Innovation, a trip to a nearby monastery, and a publicly available website.
[Grant products]
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Project fields:
Religion, General
Program:
Enduring Questions: Pilot Course Grants
Division:
Education Programs
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Totals:
$24,747 (approved) $24,747 (awarded)
Grant period:
6/1/2013 – 5/31/2016
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