The Importance Of Prayer

FAIRFIELD — Despite great success in business and occupying high-ranking posts within the federal government, James P. Moore, Jr, has found his life’s calling in an unexpected place: prayer.

His accomplishments include overseeing many pivotal moves while United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development during the Reagan administration, and founding ATI, an investment banking firm.

Mr Moore has spent much of his recent years researching, writing, and speaking about the importance of prayer in the lives of Americans. It prompted him to write the riveting and unique book, One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America (previously titled American Prayer), a work that led to a PBS special of the same name. He once said, “If prayer represents the most private innermost thoughts of individuals, then it must say something about us as a people throughout our history.”

On Wednesday, April 18, Mr Moore, a Georgetown University professor, will deliver a talk as part of Open Visions Forum, a distinguished lecture series of University College at Fairfield University. Mr Moore’s speech will be the annual University College Ignatian Lecture. The lecture series is named for the founder of the Jesuits, St Ignatius Loyola, who advocated a method of reflection on one’s actions to recognize one’s true vocation.

Mr Moore’s talk will take place at 8 pm at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. For tickets, which are $35, visit QuickCenter.com or call 203-254-4010.

“In the end, One Nation Under God has become a love story,” said Mr Moore. “It stands as an extraordinarily intimate portrait of our people, our relationships with God, and our entire way of life. Prayer is not the exclusive preserve of any one faith. True prayer challenges individuals to elevate their sights to a higher power to whom they are accountable and reminds them of their ties to the destinies of those around them.”

Mr Moore’s visit to Fairfield University will offer the community an opportunity to hear him speak about why he chose to spend so many years researching and writing One Nation Under God.

“Academics in the field of religion and ordinary folks for whom religion is personally important often lament the seeming ignorance of journalists and the negative biases among many intellectuals when it comes to religion. One Nation Under God challenges these prejudices by presenting an abundance of data about the central role prayer plays in the life of most Americans,” said Elizabeth A. Dreyer, PhD, professor of religions studies.

The Washington Post Book World applauded Moore for marching into “uncharted territory” with his study of prayer and exploring the prayer life of virtually every occupation of American workers and every US President, while looking at “prayer’s dark side, too.”