Legislative Prayer in the House of Representatives: A Preliminary Analysis of Guest Clergy and Their Messages.

The tradition of prayer to open a legislative session extends to the English tradition that influenced so many aspects of colonial and American government. For Congress, prayer has been an integral part of daily opening rituals since the time of the Continental Congress. This paper begins an examination of opening prayers by guest chaplains in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2000. The paper begins with an overview of legislative prayers and the guest chaplain program. Then, an analysis of the demographic characteristics of guest chaplains and their sponsors is conducted. Finally, the paper concludes with a preliminary examination of the rhetoric of guest chaplains and their message to Congress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]