The Impact of Prayer on the Orderly Cosmos: A Comparative study of Mortaza Mutahhari and Eleonore Stump

Abstract

Among the different kinds of prayers, petitionary prayer faces most philosophical challenges. One of them is about the efficacy of this sort of prayer in a world having inclusive laws. The problem has two presumptions. First, the divine answer to petitionary prayer is granted, and secondly, there is no violation in natural laws. To consider this problem, we have examined two philosophers’ views, Mortaza Mutahhari and Eleonore Stump. Although Mutahhari does not address the problem explicitly, we can find the bases for coping with it in his works. Stump, however, considers the problem explicitly. First, she proves the possibility of prayer in such a world. Secondly, by appealing to some notions in modern physics, she offers an explanation of how this possibility can be actualized. On the other hand, Mutahhari's answers are focused on the compatibility of prayers with the other laws of nature. So, he believes that the petitionary prayer is a law among the other laws in the cosmos.

Keywords

• prayer
• orderly cosmos
• causality
• mutahhari
• stump