<html><div>I have two seat-of-the-pants queries for ling anth readers who
may be secreting away to the internet over the holidays...</div>
<br>
<div>1) Does anyone know of work done on the pragmatics of linguistic
form of prayers, cross-culturally. (I have the 1994 volume of periodical
L'Homme that features this topic in South Asian contexts).</div>
<br>
<div>2) Can anyone think of a culture group or a religious affiliation
that does NOT employ public prayers given by a single speaker to invoke
meetings, inaugurate or close various services, bless babies or bodies,
or bless food or dinner tables, etc.? </div>
<br>
<div>Thanks in advance for any advice/comments you might have.</div>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Rachel R. Reynolds<br>
Language, Literacy and Rhetoric<br>
Department of English<br>
University of Illinois at Chicago<br>
601 S. Morgan, m/c 162 <br>
Chicago, IL 60607-7120<br>
(312) 413-2237</font></html>