Martin Marty

Martin Marty

Award-winning author and professor emeritus, University of Chicago

Martin E. Marty is Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago, where he taught religious history, chiefly in the Divinity School, for 35 years, and where the Martin Marty Center has been founded to promote “public religion” endeavors. For a decade prior to entering academia, the “On Faith” panelist served parishes in the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago as an ordained Lutheran pastor. Marty is the author of more than 50 books including Righteous Empire: The Protestant Experience in America (1970), for which he won the National Book Award. His additional honors include the National Humanities Medal, the Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the University of Chicago Alumni Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal of the Association of Theological Schools, and the Order of Lincoln Medallion (Illinois’ top honor). Marty has served as president of the American Academy of Religion, the American Society of Church History, and the American Catholic Historical Association. He also has served on two U.S. Presidential Commissions and was director of the Fundamentalism Project of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Public Religion Project at the University of Chicago. He is Senior Regent of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Close.

Martin Marty

Award-winning author and professor emeritus, University of Chicago

Martin E. Marty is Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago, where he taught religious history, chiefly in the Divinity School, for 35 years, and where the Martin Marty Center has been founded to promote “public religion” endeavors. more »

Main Page | Martin Marty Archives | On Faith Archives


Prayer Is Conversation

Praying with a community helps us be mindful of the needs of others.

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All Comments (21)

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Greg:

Bill L.,
Nice comment... Now you sound just like some of the bible thumpers that give Christians a bad name. Maybe you should also read Romans 12:18 and see if your post matches what it says...

BGone:

Bill L:

Sure enough. Now take this one. Why do absolute truths, the word of God no less require belief, faith? Now who's wise and who's foolish the ones that say absolute truths don't require faith or those that call faith absolute truths? Is it wise or foolish to say a hoax is the word of God?

Miss Bonnie Parker wrote poetry that predicted the fate of Bonnie and Clyde. Why? Is there a subconscious part of the criminal mind that says crime will not go unchecked forever? See any references to that in the Bible? Did the writers of the hoax predict it would be found out?

Bill L:

The more I read of atheist comments the more I think about a verse in the bible.." the fools will be called wise and the wise will be called fools". Boy is that one comming true!

BGone:

DRVICE - Genesis 3:19 "You will eat your bread by the sweat of your brow" says that praying to God is not acceptable to God by God's own words. When you pray you do ask God for something? God already knows how great God is, doesn't need you to know that. God isn't an egomaniac is God?

The supernatural being that answers prayers is Devil. Devil isn't reliable because of limited power but Devil can deliver the goods in certain cases. Some ministries rake in the big money while others, small time operators with a guitar at the court house square on Saturday afternoon must have regular jobs as well to make a go ot it. Your government has been helping out with your tax dollars because of their ability to deliver votes.

Interpretation 1501 at http://www.hoax-buster.org/sellyoursoul explains how hell has been turned into a gold mine but only for those with the carisma to attract large herds of people to pray. They must pray for contraband even if it's their own deliverance from Devil because God forbids anything free.

So good luck with your praying. God is surely watching. And Devil dances with glee because all prayers are to Devil in violation of God's command. Maybe you would be better off kneeling before the mirror when you pray. That's what God wants you to do if you must pray.

Norrie Hoyt:

Neeki,

Sorry, but there is no God, at least not of the Old Testament, Islamic, and Christian sort.

Think about becoming a Buddhist. It will put you on the path to enlightenment, and you won't be hung up on a three-letter word that appears not to refer to anything.

Regards & good luck to you.

DryIce:

Professor Marty, exactly right. Prayer, even in groups, is between you and God. It is thought, word, and deed. It can be one, two, or all three.
God Bless you and yours Professor. amen.

neeki:

Dear BGONE,

I've noticed that you make lots of comments in the On Faith section. Could it be you are seeking God and are not quite sure what to do? Praying is the beginning. Pray and ask God to open your heart and your eyes to the truth and to come into your heart.

BGone:

Prayer, drugs, alcohol all bring temporary relief, lift the fear of the demon on the nebol bridge. They're all addictive. The more one prays the more one must pray just like the more one drinks the more one must drink to get the desired result, insanity.

The key to understanding is the nebol bridge. You can find a fairly good explanation of it at http://www.hoax-buster.org Mr Marty has a demon on his nebol bridge that was put there while he was still a child. That demon keeps the childish mind childish it would appear.

National prayer breakfasts should be countered with a national beer breakfast. Johnny Cash said, with words and music, you can have at least one more for desert.

Let us prey:

upon the weak of mind, the sick of mind, those hungry for God's word, the huddled masses. We can squeeze a few bcuk out of them.

Ba'al:

National Prayer Breakfast. A strange concept. Let us pray. Please pass me a croissant. Would you like some orange juice? I am amazed that devout people countenance this sort of nonsense.

center:

Bob,
it is not a crusade...it is an exchange, not need to hammer at anything.

Anonymous:

Bob...

it is not a crusade.

it is an exchange, no need to hammer at anything.

Bob:

Hey Marty, way to hammer!

Phil C:

Good going, Concerned -- get the word out

Me:

I agree that prayer is conversation. It is conversation with oneself. Although calling that conversation prayer gives it a bit more legitimacy than talking to oneself. Goodness don't want people to think your insane for carrying on a conversation with yourself. They might slam on that straight jacket and haul you off. But praying to a supernatural being is A-OK.

Personally I choose to converse with myself rather than something that does not exist. Even if the former somehow makes it less sane to the majority of society.

I just whisper!

Oh, and Marty, you said....Do I pray? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says (Matt. 6:5): "Don't tell." But since you asked: "Yes."

Whats up with that? Going against the son of gods directive! Shame on you!

victoria:

amin mr marty you are succinct and potent as always

Concerned The Christian Now Liberated:

IMHO, God started the Big Bang. He/She also granted the gifts of Free Will and Future to all the thinking beings in the Universe. This being the case, God is not able to alter life and requests/prayers will not be answered. Statistically, your request might come true but it is simply the result of the variabiliy/randomness of Nature.

So put down your rosaries and prayer beads and stop worshiping cows and bowing to Mecca six times a day. Instead work hard at your job, take care of aging parents, volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to charities and the poor and continue to follow the Commandments of your religion or any good rules of living as gracious and good human beings. And lets all hope there indeed is a place called Heaven!!!

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