Giuseppe Giordan Livres

Why do people pray and in what situations and settings? Does prayer imply a god, and if so, what sort? A Sociology of Prayer addresses these fundamental questions and opens up important new debates. Drawing from religion, anthropology and historical perspectives, the contributors focus particularly on prayer as a social and personal matter, and situate prayer in the conditions of complex, late modern societies worldwide. Presenting fresh empirical data in relation to original theorising, the volume examines the material aspects of prayer, including the objects, bodies, symbols and spaces with which it may be integrally connected.

Exploring the sociological dimensions of exorcism, the book analyzes its resurgence and influence within diverse communities. It posits that exorcism has transformed into a religious commodity that enhances a religion's appeal and reinforces its influence. In a landscape of competing faiths, religious groups strive for authority over supernatural claims by uniquely branding their exorcism rituals, thereby legitimizing their belief systems amidst the competition.