Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Queen Mary University of London, London, England, UK.
F1000Res. 2024 Sep 2;13:156. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.145194.2. eCollection 2024.
This paper focuses upon prayer for sickness. What do individuals suffering from illness, their families and the wider community pray for? How do they deal with unanswered prayer? Do they pray for cure, to guide medical professionals or to cope with their sickness? What rationalisations do they proffer for unanswered prayer?
Based on a critical literature review and deploying secondary data from the Twenty First Century Evangelical research programme, the data suggest that prayers for guiding medical professionals and coping are more common than for cure, at least in Global North countries such as the UK and US. But why do those who believe in miracles not ask God for divine healing? Furthermore, unanswered prayer can conflict with Christian views of God as omnipotent and all loving.
Respondents use a number of theodical rationalisations to resolve this conflict.
The results are discussed in relation to cognitive dissonance theory, learned helplessness, the need to conserve a relationship with the Divine, and desire to manage risk of disappointment and reduce consequent emotional pain.
本文聚焦于疾病祈祷。患病个体、他们的家人和更广泛的社区会为疾病祈祷什么？他们如何应对未得到回应的祈祷？他们是祈求治愈、指导医疗专业人员还是应对疾病？他们对未得到回应的祈祷提供了哪些合理化解释？
基于批判性文献综述，并利用来自 21 世纪福音派研究计划的二手数据，数据表明，在英国和美国等全球北方国家，祈求指导医疗专业人员和应对的祈祷比祈求治愈的祈祷更为常见。但是，为什么那些相信奇迹的人不祈求上帝赐予神圣的治愈呢？此外，未得到回应的祈祷可能与基督教中上帝全能和全爱的观点相冲突。
受访者使用了一些神学合理化解释来解决这种冲突。
本文将结果与认知失调理论、习得性无助、与神圣保持关系的需要以及管理失望风险和减少随之而来的情感痛苦的愿望联系起来进行讨论。
