An Atheist Praying

Famous French and Jewish philosopher Jacques Derrida was known to be an atheist, but in the later part of his life, he ruminated significantly on prayer. Think about the line from We Are… where Sweet Honey in the Rock sings “We are our grandmother’s prayers. And we are our grandfather’s dreamings.” We are the prayers of our ancestors. Let us explore prayer together. Dr. Andrew Tripp is a Humanist chaplain and Psycho/Spiritual Coordinator with VNACare. He is also the quarter-time minister with Unity Church of North Easton. Dr. Tripp has served as a chaplain to inpatient medical/surgical hospitals, behavioral healthcare hospitals, and hospices in Massachusetts. He has published works on spiritual care for folks with advanced dementia, provided trainings on mindfulness-based techniques for hospice caregivers in the midst of the pandemic, and has developed online memorials and bereavement materials in the midst of social distancing.