Information About the Prayer in America Documentary
Interviews
PRAYER IN AMERICA interview subjects are scholars and theologians from a cross-section of American life – educational institutions, houses of worship, and community organizations.
All Interview SubjectsAbout the Producers
The Duncan Group, Inc. has been producing long-form nonfiction programming for national and international broadcast since 1984. Its mission is to create high quality, multicultural, nonfiction programming for broadcast television, large format venues, theatrical release, home video, internet, and classroom education markets around the world.
Learn MorePRAYER IN AMERICA (airing November 2007 on public television stations) asks the question, What role has prayer played in shaping the development and history of America? The two-part documentary explores contemporary debates about the role of prayer through the lens of history. By asking rhetorically, "How did we get here?" the show examines the ways in which prayer has contributed to and continues to shape the American experience.
The film is inspired by and serves as the companion to Prayer in America (originally published by Doubleday as One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America) by James P. Moore, Jr. In his highly original approach to the history of the United States, Jim Moore suggests that prayer has historically, and through to the present day, been a significant influence on the political, cultural and economic development of the United States.
PRAYER IN AMERICA producers Alison Rostankowski and Chip Duncan explore this thesis through interviews with a wide-ranging group of scholars, writers, and experts on the history of religion and prayer in America. The documentary reflects diverse, and sometimes conflicting, perspectives that inspire viewers to examine the role religion and prayer play in their personal lives, politics, and culture.
PRAYER IN AMERICA is presented in two one-hour segments:
Main Topics for Show One
- American Prayer
- Immigrant Experience and Prayer
- Slavery and Prayer
- The Social Gospel and The Prosperity Gospel and Prayer
- School Prayer
Main Topics for Show Two
- Forgiveness and Prayer
- Science and Prayer
- War and Peace
- Healing and Prayer
- Civil Religion and Prayer