Peter Washington is the editor of PRAYERS (Everyman's Library, 1995), published by Alfred A. Knopf. Read RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY's interview via e-mail with him about prayer in a time of war:

What is the role of prayer in war time? What purposes does it serve?

Prayer has several roles in war.

Solitary prayer concentrates the will of the individual, strengthening and clarifying his sense of purpose. It calms the mind and reminds him that there are greater powers than himself or his army or his nation, and that his fate is in the hands of these powers. (This is true whether or not we believe in God, divine providence, etc.)

Communal prayer reinforces the sense of group solidarity while tempering the feeling of bravado. It brings home our mutual responsibilities to one another, to the enterprise on which we are engaged and to whatever higher powers we believe in. Ideally, it should remind us of both the merits and the dangers of that enterprise.

It can also remind individuals and groups of their humanity and frailty in the presence of greater powers. It brings home to them the seriousness of the enterprise on which they are engaged. By doing that, it helps to temper the aggressive, gung-ho urges which may otherwise overwhelm them. And it reminds them that the world is filled with powers beyond our understanding.

Is the impulse to pray in war time different from the simple human impulse to pray? Does all prayer arise from a sense of helplessness? What distinguishes war time prayer?

The need to pray in war-time may be intensified by simple terror, by greater vulnerability than normal, but also by a sense of greater responsibility. War faces us in the most immediate way with the prospect of death -- for others, if not for ourselves. Death is usually concealed from us in western societies or sanitized. War demands that we confront it face to face.

Prayer can help to remind us of our solidarity with other creatures, be they allies or enemies. It can also teach us to temper the pride and arrogance which are all too apt to drive us in war, especially if we are victorious.

Different prayers may be suitable for soldiers and civilians. For soldiers there is the need to calm the mind and strengthen the purpose. Civilians need to be reminded (especially in the television age) that they are not mere spectators at a contest but deeply engaged in -- and responsible for -- what is happening in a struggle which means life or death for many on both sides.

Finally, we must pray for our enemies and their forgiveness.