RT Article
T1 Petition and Praise: Basic Forms of Prayer in the Babylonian and Hebrew Tradition
JF Die Welt des Orients
VO 49
IS 1
SP 81
OP 94
A1 Gerstenberger, Erhard S. 1932-2023
LA English
PB Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
YR 2019
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/166936173X
AB Prayer is a multi-layered, amply-faceted religious and culturally determined phenomenon. The functional aspects of "praise" and "petition" may serve as our "vernacular" (and thus incompatible to ancient concepts) terms in our efforts to systematize notions of prayer. Petition for help and salvation in the ancient Near East arose in situations of danger (mostly befalling small social groups) in order to coerce superhuman powers into an alliance against destructive tendencies. Praise, on the other hand, came out of larger groups, tried to maintain or establish that beneficial equilibrium so necessary of all human well-being. Thus, both - seemingly dichotomous, ritualized allocutions to higher powers - are, in fact, human contributions to the micro- and macro-world order of peace, justice, and bliss.
DO 10.13109/wdor.2019.49.1.81