About the Book
The Cognitive Science of Religion introduces students to key empirical studies conducted over the past 25 years in this new and rapidly expanding field. In these studies, cognitive scientists of religion have applied the theories, findings and research tools of the cognitive sciences to understanding religious thought, behaviour and social dynamics. Each chapter is written by a leading international scholar, and summarizes in non-technical language the original empirical study conducted by the scholar. No prior or statistical knowledge is presumed, and studies included range from the classic to the more recent and innovative cases.
Students will learn about the theories that cognitive scientists have employed to explain recurrent features of religiosity across cultures and historical eras, how scholars have tested those theories, and what the results of those tests have revealed and suggest. Written to be accessible to undergraduates, this provides a much-needed survey of empirical studies in the cognitive science of religion.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements
List of Contributors
Student Introduction, Jason Slone (Georgia Southern University, USA) and William W. McCorkle Jr. (Masaryk University, Czech Republic)
Instructor Introduction, William W. McCorkle Jr. (Masaryk University, Czech Republic) and Jason Slone (Georgia Southern University, USA)
1. Why Do We See Supernatural Signs in Natural Events?, Jesse Bering (University of Otago, New Zealand)
2. What Do We Think About God When We Aren't Careful?, Justin Barrett (Fuller Theological Seminary, USA)
3. What Do People Think Omniscient Agents Know, Benjamin Purzycki (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany) and Richard Sosis (University of Connecticut, USA)
4. Do Children Attribute Beliefs to Humans and God Differently?, Mitch Hodge (Queen's University, UK and LEVYNA, Czech Republic)
5. Which God is Watching?, Rita Anne McNamara (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)
6. Do People Think the Soul is Separate from the Body and Mind?, Rebekah Richert (University of California-Riverside, USA) and Kirsten Lesage (University of California-Riverside, USA)
7. Were Early Chinese Thinkers Folk Dualists?, Edward Slingerland (University of British Columbia, Canada)
8. How Do People Establish Personal Identity in Reincarnation?, Claire White (California State University-Northridge, USA)
9. Is Memory Crucial for Transmission of Religious Ideas?, Michaela Porubanova (Farmingdale State College, USA)
10. What Types of Concepts Make for Great Religious Stories?, Ryan Tweney (Bowling Green State University, USA)
11. How do Religious Environments Affect our Behavior?, Dimitris Xygalatas (University of Connecticut, USA)
12. Can We Model Religious Behavior Using Computer Simulation?, Justin Lane (LEVYNA, Czech Republic) and LeRon Shults (University of Agder, Norway)
13. Does God Make You Good?, Azim Shariff (University of California-Riverside, USA) and Ara Norenzayani (University of British Columbia, Canada)
14. Do We Outsource Police Work to God?, Azim Shariff and Kristin Laurin (University of British Columbia, Canada)
15. Do Religions Promote Cooperation? Testing Signaling Theories of Religion, Richard Sosis (University of Connecticut, USA)
16. Do Rituals Promote Social Cohesion?, Dimitris Xygalatas (University of Connecticut, USA
17. Are Muslim Costly Signals Christian Caution Signs?, Deborah Hall (Arizona State University, USA), Erik Porter(Arizona State University, USA), and Richard Grove (University of North Dakota, USA)
18. Is Ritual Behavior a Response to Anxiety?, Martin Lang (Masaryk University, Czech Republic), Jan Krátký (Masaryk University, Czech Republic), John Shaver (University of Otago, New Zealand), Danijela Jerotijevic (Comenius University, Slovakia), and Dimitris Xygalatas (University of Connecticut, USA)
19. Can Rituals Reduce Stress During War? The Magic of Psalms, Richard Sosis (University of Connecticut, USA)
20. Does Praying Resemble Normal Interpersonal Interaction?, Uffe Schjoedt (Aarhus University, Denmark)
21. How are Rituals Thought to Work?, Brian Malley (University of Michigan, USA)
22. How do Humans Process Ritualized Actions?, Jesper Sorensen Schjoedt (Aarhus University, Denmark) and Kristoffer Nielbo (Aarhus University, Denmark)
23. Did Ritualized Human Sacrifice Help Build and Sustain Social Inequality?, Joseph Watts (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany and University of Oxford, UK), Oliver Sheehan(Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany), Quentin Atkinson (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Germany and University of Auckland, New Zealand), Joseph Bulbulia (University of Auckland, New Zealand), and Russell Gray (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
References
Index
About the Author :
D. Jason Slone is Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Georgia Southern University, USA.
William W. McCorkle Jr. is Senior Research Fellow at the Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion and Ritual, Masaryk University, Czech Republic, and is Distinguished Fellow at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. He is co-editor of Mental Culture (2013) and the author of Ritualizing the Disposal of the Deceased (2010). He is also the managing editor of the Journal of Cognitive Historiography.
Review :
To summarize: the volume provides very interesting insights for somebody (like me) who is not a member of the scholarly tribe of CSR. As such, it keeps its word: it is a rich, multifaceted, and well-readable initiation into the methods, perspectives, and approaches constituting the CSR.
“This volume is so valuable because it doesn't just present CSR theories, it lays out the supporting methodological and empirical basis and walks through the foundational studies upon which CSR is built. It is the way to introduce the field, to learn more about the field, and even to keep up with the field. Plus it is useful for helping students and researchers understand how a multi-disciplinary science works."
“This wide-ranging compilation of essays provides an excellent introduction to the Cognitive Science of Religion, packed with contributions from scholars at the cutting edge of research in the field. This book is a must for all students coming to this new branch of science for the first time.”
“Slone and McCorkle have created a lifeline for students and faculty working in the cognitive science of religion. This is not only a stellar introduction to this emerging field of study but a showcase of the key empirical and experimental studies that everyone involved has been paying attention to. Both students and faculty will breathe a sigh of relief that this text is available.”
“The cognitive and evolutionary study of religion aims at producing empirically testable theories of religious phenomena. Finally, there is a textbook that reflects this aim! The Cognitive Science of Religion showcases both classical and cutting-edge experiments in the field. Given its accessibility to students and non-academic audiences, it is an invaluable resource for everyone interested in religion and cognition. I will definitely use it in my own teaching.”
