Prayer and Piety have their place and should not be scoffed at, because in its truest form, Christianity is beautiful and has a depth that sustains one.  However, that being said,  Buchan conforms to Americanised "Christian" Fundamentalism, a form of Christianity that has it's deep roots in the founding of the USA. It goes right back to the Puritans and form of Protestant Christianity that came over from the UK.  American Christian Fundamentalism is anti-intellectual, it has a dark view of Eschatology, considers poverty to be the result of laziness and the result of sin, and is very much based on the idea of the American Dream.  This form of Christian Fundamentalism views the Bible in a Literal sense.  It is Anti-science, anti-psychology/psychiatry; frowns upon modern translations.  And it is a big proponent of the Prosperity Gospel.  Buchan ascribes to Pentecostalism, which teaches that God performs miracles and healings through his chosen servants - ministers - who are wealthy indeed