THE POWER OF PRAYER: NEW FORMS OF PRAYER AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC DIMENSIONS

Abstract

Since the famous monograph by Walter Heim in 1961, the genre of letters written to the powers above and prayers have aroused the interest of many ethnologists. Research in the German-speaking regions and analyses by Hardy Kromer, Herbert Nikitsch, Gabriele Ponisch and Gerhard Schmied have shown that this new form of written devotion enjoys enormous popularity and is spreading rapidly. Guestbooks in which visitors can record their prayers are appearing in many Catholic shrines. Moreover, it is now an accepted practice for people to record their requests to the Virgin Mary on the websites of shrines or in the visitors’ books of virtual churches. Leafing through these books the reader is touched by the special, intimate tone of the entries: requests – often very concrete – to the Virgin Mary, words of gratitude, sincere personal prayers. They reflect human fates and mixed emotions: hope, gratitude, fear, feelings of abandonment and doubt. These sources allow a glimpse into spheres in the souls of pilgrims that are generally hidden from the researcher. An analysis of these texts and interviews with their authors show that these books and the entries made in them can serve many purposes. They can be interpreted on one hand as cultural behaviour aimed at expressing and passing on impressions, that is, they can be used like a museum guestbook (profane function). However, for the most part the motivations are of a religious nature, such as the desire to communicate with the Transcendent, to reinforce or manifest a prayer addressed to it. The therapeutic dimensions of writing down these prayers also have an important place among these functions. The study is devoted to these aspects of this special prayer practice.

References

• Andreescu, A. (2011) Rethinking Prayer and Health Research: An Exploratory Inquiry on Prayer’s Psychological Dimension, International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, Vol. 30 No. 1-2, p. 23-47.
• Assmann, J. (1999)        A kulturális emlékezet. Írás, emlékezés, politikai identitás a korai magaskultúrákban [Cultural Memory. Writing, Memory and Political Identity in Early Civilizations], Budapest, Atlantis Kiadó.
• Bálint, S., Barna, G. (1994)    Búcsújáró magyarok. A magyarországi búcsújárás története és néprajza [Hungarians on Pilgrimage. History and Ethnology of Pilgrimages in Hungary], Budapest, Szent István Társulat.
• Berger, P. (2007) Vallás: tapasztalat, hagyomány és reflexió [Religion: Experience, Tradition and Reflection]. Korpics, M., Szilczl, D. (eds.) Szakrális Kommunikáció, Budapest, Typotex Kiadó, p.203-219.
• Frida, B. (2005) A vallás és a szupernaturális. Vallás Kutatás És Antropológia [Religion and the Supernatural. Research on Religion and Anthropology], Világosság, No. 7-8, p. 195-214.
• Goody, J. (1986)  Funktionen der Schrift in traditionalen Gesellschaften. Von Jack Goody, Ian Watt und Kathleen Gough (eds.) Entstehung und Folgen der Schriftkultur, Frankfurt am Main, Suhrkamp Verlag, p. 25–62.
• Heim, W. (1961)  Briefe zum Himmel. Die Grabbriefe an Mutter M. Theresia Scherer in Ingenbohl. Ein Beitrag zur religiösen Volkskunde. Schriften der Schweizer. Gesellschaft für Volkskunde 40, Basel, Krebs Verlag.
• Kromer, H. (1996)        Adressat: Gott. Das Anliegenbuch von St. Martin in Tauberbischofsheim. Eine Fallstudie zur schriftlichen Devotion, Studien & Materialien des Ludwig-Uhland-Instituts der Universität Tübingen 17, Tübingen: Tübinger Vereinigung für Volkskunde E.V.
• Lotman, J. (1994) A kommunikáció kétféle modellje a kultúra rendszerében [Two Models of Communication in the System of Culture]. K. Árpád, G. Edit (eds.) Kultúra, szöveg, narráció. Orosz elméletírók tanulmányai, JPTE Irodalomtudományi Füzetek, Pécs, Jannus Pannonius Egyetemi Kiadó, p. 16–43.
• Lovász, I. (2002)  Szakrális kommunikáció [Sacral Communication], Budapest, Európai Folklór Intézet.
• Ponisch, G. (2001)        “Danke! Thank you! Merci!” Die Pilgerbücher der Wallfahrtskirche Mariatrost bei Graz, Grazer Beiträge zur Europäischen Ethnologie Bd. 9. Frankfurt am Main, Peter Lang Verlag.
• Rahner, K. (1991) Hit, remény, szeretet: a lelkiéletolvasókönyve [Faith, Hope, Charity: Reader of Spiritual Life], Budapest – Lucerne, Church Forum.