Prayer in America

A Spiritual History of Our Nation

By: James P. Moore Jr.

Narrated by: James P. Moore Jr., Full Cast

A stirring chronicle of the spiritual life of a nation, Prayer in America shows how the faith of Americans—from the founding fathers to corporate tycoons, from composers to social reformers, from generals to slaves—was an essential ingredient in the formation of American culture, character, commerce, and creed.

Prayer in America brings together the country’s hymns, patriotic anthems, arts, and literature as a framework for telling the story of the innermost thoughts of the people who have shaped the United States we know today. Beginning with Native Americans, Prayer in America traces the prayer lives of Quakers and Shakers, Sikhs and Muslims, Catholics and Jews, from their earliest days in the United States through the aftermath of 9/11, and the 2004 presidential election. It probes the approach to prayer by such diverse individuals as Benjamin Franklin, Elvis Presley, Frank Lloyd Wright, J. C. Penney, P. T. Barnum, Jackie Robinson, and Christopher Columbus. It includes every president of the United States as well as America’s clergy, immigrants, industrialists, miners, sports heroes, and scientists.

Prayer in America shows that without prayer, the political, cultural, social, and even economic and military history of the United States would be vastly different from what it is today. It engages in a thoughtful, timely examination of the modern debate over public prayer and how the current approach to prayer bears deep roots in the philosophies of the country’s founding fathers, a subject which remains distinct from the debate over church and state.©2005 James P. Moore Jr.; (P)2005 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for Prayer in America

“In this day and age we need to be reminded of what unites us as Americans rather than divides us. Jim Moore’s Prayer in America speaks uniquely and eloquently to the resounding spiritual life and common heritage that we share as a people. I am convinced that this book will be discussed in America’s churches, town halls, and coffee shops for a very long time to come.”—Senator John McCain, Arizona

“I am enormously impressed with the scholarship and research that has gone into this book. I am convinced that it will have a resonance like few other works for many years to come.”—Stephen Ambrose (1936–2002) late author and historian

There is hope!

I have been an Audible listener for a long time, yet I rarely rate books unless I feel very moved. This is one such book. It is truly sad and scary that we have drifted so far from the roots of what this country was founded upon. It is more obvious than ever that we have drifted from our humble forefathers' desires of having a country that offered freedom "of" religion, to one that is advocating freedom "from" religion. This book truly appeals to the spirit inside all men, whatever their affiliation might be, to renew their contact with the One who made us all. Fabulous book! Don't let it pass by!

One Nation Under God

This Country was founded by people that were Christians, or otherwise, believed in God-----this is well documented in this book by the role that prayer has had in America. As people that believed in God we have prospered as no other country has-------and now, for the past several decades, the aetheists and other non-God believing "citizens" and others, are trying to force us to their corrupt standards, views and non-God beliefs....