Alicia McNary Forsey is a research professor at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, Calif. She authored an essay, “Attitudes About Money in Theological Schools.”

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has an analysis of the attitudes and practices of Americans regarding prayer.

Gregory Schopen is a professor of South Asian Buddhism in the department of Asian languages and cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has written on the role of money in Buddhism, especially in India.

The Pluralism Project at Harvard University has a good background paper on the history of the National Day of Prayer.

Michael David Bonner is a professor of Near Eastern studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He has written on money and Islam, including the entry “Wealth” in the Encyclopedia of the Qur’an.

See reactions to the 2010 court ruling from various contributors at a special section from The Washington Post‘s “On Faith” blog.

The “Political Advocacy Tracker” at Christianity Today has a roundup of reactions from Christian groups to the 2010 National Day of Prayer court ruling.

The National Day of Prayer Task Force is a private organization headed by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. The group, whose mission is to “publicize and preserve America’s Christian heritage,” organizes National Prayer Day events.

Roger J. Nemeth is a sociology professor at Hope College in Holland, Mich. He has written about finances and congregations, including an essay, “The Religious Basis of Charitable Giving in America: A Social Capital Perspective” for the volume Religion, Social Capital and Democratic Life.