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Modes of religiosity: Towards a cognitive explanation of the sociopolitical dynamics of religion (2002)
| Venue: | Method & Theory in the Study of Religion |
| Citations: | 2 - 0 self |
BibTeX
@INPROCEEDINGS{Whitehouse02modesof,
author = {Harvey Whitehouse},
title = {Modes of religiosity: Towards a cognitive explanation of the sociopolitical dynamics of religion},
booktitle = {Method & Theory in the Study of Religion},
year = {2002}
}
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Abstract
In this article is summarized the theory of “modes of religiosity”, the doctrinal mode and the imagistic mode. It seeks to contribute to a growing body of research, by explaining, in terms of underlying cognitive mechanisms, some of the varied ways in which religious commitments are experienced, organized, transmitted, and politicized. Patterns of mental activity, rooted in the biology of brain functions and the contexts in which these develop, have direct effects on the elaboration of all domains of human culture. For instance, patterns of kinship organization are as much constrained by the limitations of short-term memory for genealogical categories (D’Andrade 1995: 42-44) as by other, perhaps more obvious biological constraints, such as the relatively undifferentiated and limited physical capacities of hu-man infants (Fox 1967: chap. 1). Recent work in the field of “cogni-tion and religion ” has shown in increasing detail that evolved proper-ties of human mental architecture constrain and shape religious representations and the forms of action and social morphology in which these are implicated (e.g., Lawson and McCauley 1990;
Keyphrases
sociopolitical dynamic cognitive explanation cognitive mechanism imagistic mode short-term memory hu-man infant limited physical capacity human mental architecture constrain social morphology religious commitment brain function shape religious representation human culture genealogical category obvious biological constraint kinship organization mental activity recent work varied way doctrinal mode direct effect
