The relationship between attitude toward prayer and professional burnout among Anglican parochial clergy in England: Are praying clergy healthier clergy?

This study examines the theory that confidence in prayer is fundamental to maintaining a good level of work-related psychological health among Anglican parochial clergy and that low confidence in prayer is associated with professional burnout. Data were provided by a sample of 1,278 male stipendiary parochial clergy working in the Church of England who completed the modified form of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the short form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire together with a scale assessing clergy attitude toward prayer. The results indicated that a positive attitude toward prayer was associated with lower levels of emotional exhaustion, lower levels of depersonalization, and higher levels of personal accomplishment. These findings are interpreted in light of a growing understanding of the psychological role of prayer in human functioning.