Conceptualizing Religion : : Immanent Anthropologists, Transcendent Natives, and Unbounded Categories / / Benson Saler.

• Superior document: Numen Book Series ; Volume 56
• VerfasserIn: Saler, Benson,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, The Netherlands : : E.J. Brill,, [1993]; ©1993
• Year of Publication: 1993
• Edition: First edition.
• Language: English
• Series: Studies in the history of religions ; Volume 56.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource.

How might we transform a folk category — in this case, religion — into an analytical category suitable for cross-cultural research? In addressing that question, this book critically explores various approaches to the problem of conceptualizing religion for scholarly purposes, particularly with respect to certain disciplinary interests of anthropologists. The author argues that the most plausible analytical strategy can be based on the idea of family resemblances, especially as that idea has been used and developed in contemporary prototype theory. In the solution proposed, religion is conceptualized as an affair of 'more or less' rather than a matter of 'yes or no,' and no sharp line is drawn between religion and non-religion.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Benson Saler -- Introduction / Benson Saler -- Abjuring a Definition and Other Matters / Benson Saler -- Holding a Definition in Abeyance and A Case for a Definition / Benson Saler -- Monothetic Definitions / Benson Saler -- More on Monothetic Definitions / Benson Saler -- Multi-factorial Approaches: Family Resemblance and Polythesis / Benson Saler -- A Prototype Approach / Benson Saler -- Ethnocentrism and Distanciation / Benson Saler -- References Cited / Benson Saler -- Index / Benson Saler -- Studies in the History of Religions Numen Bookseries / Benson Saler.