Kevin Ladd, assistant professor of psychology at Indiana University South Bend, recently received a $735,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation to support his research into prayer.

The three-year grant, "Inward, Outward, Upward Prayer: Programmatic Research Development" will explore different aspects of prayer and spirituality.

Ladd said that one part of the study will use photography. Subjects will be asked to define spirituality through photography. Another part will focus on prayer life and a third will examine the body during prayer.

Ladd said people believe in prayer, but what does that mean. "Even 10 percent of atheists still pray." What is a prayer to a person would not be prayer to other. "We’re interested in defining prayer and ways we engage in prayer."

Ladd, who received his doctorate from the University of Denver, has been a faculty member since 2001.