Religion as a human capacity : a festschrift in honor of E. Thomas Lawson / / edited by Timothy Light and Brian C. Wilson.

• Superior document: Numen book series. Studies in the history of religions ; v. 99
• TeilnehmendeR: Lawson, E. Thomas.; Light, Timothy.; Wilson, Brian C.
• Year of Publication: 2004
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Studies in the history of religions ; 99.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (479 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

Prepared in honor of E. Thomas Lawson, the essays in Religion as a Human Capacity represent diverse points of view in the study of religion today. Part I, “Theoretical Studies,” offers a broad range of cognitivist theoretical explorations, while Part II, “Studies in Religious Behavior,” presents cutting-edge applications of cognitive and other contemporary theories to religious data. This volume celebrates Lawson’s critical contributions to cognitive studies of religion and the degree to which his ultimate goal of scholarship as a search for truth is matched by those who have been his colleagues and been influenced by him. Religion as a Human Capacity will be of interest to all those concerned with theory and method in the academic study of religion

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Timothy Light and Brian C. Wilson -- A Brief Intellectual Biography of E. Thomas Lawson / Brian C. Wilson -- Religion as a Human Capacity / Timothy Light -- Out Of Africa: Lessons From a By-product of Evolution / Pascal Boyer -- Is Religion a Rube Goldberg Device? Or Oh, What a Difference a Theory Makes! / Robert N. Mccauley -- Why Do We Need Cognitive Theories of Religion? / Harvey Whitehouse -- Can Science Fabricate Meaning? On Ritual, Religion, and the Academic Study of Religion / Donald Wiebe -- Pathways to Knowledge in Comparative Religion: Clearing Ground for New Conceptual Resources / Veikko Anttonen -- Comparative Religion in the State of Nature / William E. Paden -- Toward a Discourse Between Cognitive and Critical Theoreticians of Religion: Open Dialectic Between the Religious and the Secular / Rudolf J. Siebert -- Dispatches from the “Religion” Wars / Russell T. Mccutcheon -- Exploring Theories of Religious Violence: Nigeria’s “Maitatsine” Phenomenon / Rosalind I. J. Hackett -- What Does Jerusalem Have to Do with Amecameca? A Case Study of Colonial Mexican Sacred Space / Brian C. Wilson -- Different Vibes: Rethinking Religion, Yet Again / Francis L. Gross -- Ritual Competence and Mithraic Ritual / Luther H. Martin -- Bringing Data to Mind: Empirical Claims of Lawson and McCauley’s Theory of Religious Ritual / Justin L. Barrett -- Communities, Ritual Violence, and Cognition: On Hopi Indian Initiations / Armin W. Geertz -- On Credulity / Benson Saler -- What is the “Bible”? (Analysis of a Text Concept) / Brian Malley -- Luck Beliefs: A Case of Theological Incorrectness / Jason Slone -- Cognition and Credence / Timothy Light -- Bibliography / Timothy Light and Brian C. Wilson -- Index of Names / Timothy Light and Brian C. Wilson -- Index of Subjects / Timothy Light and Brian C. Wilson -- Studies in the History of Religions Numen Book Series / Timothy Light and Brian C. Wilson.