ABSTRACT
Prayer aims partly at averting evils caused by spirits or gods, partly at gaining positive favours. In primitive culture, however, prayer on the whole has little importance in comparison with sacrifice or offerings. The position and attitude presented in prayer are, in many ways, of great interest, having partly a social, partly a magical or religious explanation. Conjurations are given preference in primitive cultures, and prayer in the higher religions. Formulae of conjuration, originally perhaps pure prayers, are met with both among uncivilized peoples of our own days, and among peoples of archaic culture such as the Indians, the Romans, the Babylonians, and the Egyptians. The idea that the efficacy of prayer is enhanced by the solemn pronunciation of the god’s name is found also in Greek religion. In addition to this primitive belief in the extraordinary power of magical incantations to expel evil spirits, there existed in early Christianity an equally remarkable belief in magical efficacy of prayer itself.
