In James Baldwin's Blues For Mister Charlie, there is an arresting scene in which a young boy announces before his grandmother and the world that he no longer believes in God. The wise and unperturbed woman replies, "Ain't no way you can't believe in God, boy. You just try holding your breath long enough to die."

No less than breathing or the sucking of a newborn infant, prayer is instinctive human behavior. The disciples' plea, "Lord, teach us to pray," arises from a primal urge deep within the human psyche. During World War II it was a cliche that there were no atheists in foxholes. Deep calls to deep. Spirit seeks spirit. Speaking autobiographically, Augustine observed, "Our souls are restless until they find their rest in thee, O God." A contemporary commentator put it simply, "There is…