A Schutzian Analysis of Prayer with Perspectives from Linguistic Philosophy

In this paper, we analyze the phenomenon of Christian prayer using a combination of two analytical frameworks. We apply Schutz's theories of "intersubjectivity," "inner time," "politheticality," and "multiple realities," and then expand on this approach, drawing on the ideas and insights of linguistic philosophers, notably, Wittgenstein's "language- game," Austin's "speech act," and Evans's "logic of self-involvement." In doing so, we show how these two analytical approaches, when combined, shed light on the study of prayer.
Prayer is a complex phenomenon consisting of two dimensions: the private and the social, as Matthew (6: 6) and Acts (1: 14), respectively, demonstrate. Schutz's study of "inner time" and "politheticality" of consciousness, at both the subjective and intersubjective levels, provides a useful lens to analyze these two dimensions. In addition, prayer, which follows a specific set of rules as a religious language-game, is practiced within a "field" that can be conceptualized as Schutz's "enclave" or "finite province of meaning" in the midst of daily life.
We suggest in this paper that Christian prayer is a practice of constructing and living within a religious reality in the everyday world through the conduct of performative/self- involving language-activities such as praising, confessing, thanksgiving, or requesting to God.