The Acquisition and Function of Religious Beliefs: A Review and Synthesis of Proximate and Ultimate Perspectives

Two main scientific approaches have renewed in the last decade the scientific study of religion: the cognitive and the adaptationist. The former is focused on proximate causes, the latter is looking for ultimate causes of religious beliefs and behaviours. Both approaches are useful and promising. Ho...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:  
Bibliographische Detailangaben
VerfasserInnen: Szocik, Konrad (VerfasserIn) ; Oviedo Torró, Lluís 1958- (VerfasserIn)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
Verfügbarkeit prüfen: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Lade...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Veröffentlicht: Routledge [2018]
In: Theology and science
Jahr: 2018, Band: 16, Heft: 4, Seiten: 520-538
RelBib Classification:AA Religionswissenschaft
AD Religionssoziologie; Religionspolitik
AE Religionspsychologie
weitere Schlagwörter:B evolutionary study of religion
B proximate explanation
B cognitive science of religion
B Ultimate Explanation
B social function
Online Zugang: Volltext (Verlag)
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Two main scientific approaches have renewed in the last decade the scientific study of religion: the cognitive and the adaptationist. The former is focused on proximate causes, the latter is looking for ultimate causes of religious beliefs and behaviours. Both approaches are useful and promising. However, in both cases, various important aspects and contexts associated with the origin, acquisition, and transmission of religious beliefs have been neglected. The present paper offers an approach that conjoins both models after reviewing several critical issues, to highlight a distinction between cognitive conditions and structures, on one side; and developments or applications, on the other. As a result greater attention needs to be paid to religious functions and their cultural framework to better understand religion and to explain some current processes, like massive secularization in several areas.
ISSN:1474-6719
Enthält:Enthalten in: Theology and science
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/14746700.2018.1525230