The Phenomenology of Prayer 1

"Attention and Responsibility: The work of prayer"

Exploring the Subjectivity of Prayer through a psychological perspective

In this section of the book, the Freudian concept of the unconscious as consisting of the id, ego, and superego is utilized heavily to explain how attention is important when it comes to prayer. The foundation of this idea relies on prayer acting as a vessel to sooth the ego, which entails self-discipline of personal thoughts that allow people to act 'truthfully'. As the ego revolves around deviating thoughts, subjects such as global conflicts, corruption in politics, and autonomy are utilized to emphasize that ego-guided people "design and control the world" to their "own liking" (91). Wirzba hints at the idea that prayer from this human mindset becomes "purely instrumental" in routine, which strips away the true function of prayer as a mechanism of enlightenment and self-enrichment. While there are many ways in which a person can separate himself/herself from deviant thoughts, prayer is a reminder that productivity and efforts can make routines a lot easier to stomach. Even to a non-religious person, this article calls out people for living life robotically and selfishly, and neglecting compassion for others. In this sense, prayer is symbolic of a selfless way of life - in which people must start thinking about the world around them and not about overarching ambitions.

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