On the rationality of prayers of praise and thanksgiving

Abstract Praise and thanksgiving prayers are central practices in Abrahamic religions and many other faith traditions. Recently, John Pittard and Daniel Howard-Snyder have articulated two arguments suggesting that the rationality of these practices is undermined by the claim that the God of classical theism lacks the moral credit necessary to warrant agential praise or thanks. However, for their critique to present a genuine challenge to traditional theism, it must presuppose an additional premise: that agential praise and thanks are essential components of an ideal religious life. I challenge this premise, arguing that the justification for religious praise and thanks lies not in God's moral standing but in the virtues or duties of the individual offering them. Accordingly, I maintain that debates about God's moral status are misplaced when assessing the rationality of praise and thanksgiving prayers.