Imagining the Cognitive Science of Religion - (Scientific Studies of Religion: Inquiry and Explanation) by E Thomas Lawson (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Uniting Thomas Lawson's essays on the cognitive science of religion, this volume explores theoretical issues in the study of cultural phenomena such as religion, the role of imagination, and the experiments that emerge from these theories. The book begins with Lawson's influential essay 'Towards a Cognitive Science of Religion,' which was the first to employ the phrase, and has since become widely adopted in many different disciplines. It signals to scholars in the humanities that the cognitive revolution has finally reached them and serves to introduce them to the world of science. The rest of the book focuses on theoretical issues in the study of cultural phenomena and describes experiments by scholars working on the connections between cognition and culture. Described as 'the grandfather of the cognitive science of religion,' Lawson offers a unique perspective on the development of the field and the principles that underlie it, which will be relevant to both newcomers and established scholars."

Book Synopsis

A 2024 CHOICE OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC TITLE

Uniting Thomas Lawson's essays on the cognitive science of religion, this volume explores theoretical issues in the study of cultural phenomena such as religion, the role of imagination, and the experiments that emerge from these theories.

The book begins with Lawson's influential essay "Towards a Cognitive Science of Religion," which was the first to employ the phrase, and has since become widely adopted in many different disciplines. It signals to scholars in the humanities that the cognitive revolution has finally reached them and serves to introduce them to the world of science. The rest of the book focuses on theoretical issues in the study of cultural phenomena and describes experiments by scholars working on the connections between cognition and culture.

Described as "the grandfather of the cognitive science of religion," Lawson offers a unique perspective on the development of the field and the principles that underlie it, which will be relevant to both newcomers and established scholars.

Review Quotes

"E. Thomas Lawson is the grand elder of the Cognitive Science of Religion, who brought together and mentored a younger generation of scholars as the field became established and who has continued to inspire at least two more generations after that. This long-awaited book reveals how he did it and it will be of great interest to everyone engaged in the scientific study of the religion." --Professor Harvey Whitehouse, Chair of Social Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK

"What better way to learn about this field than to listen to the stories and insightful musings of the field's godfather and one of the first evangelists? This pithy volume gives readers a unique vantage of the intellectual motivations and innovations that birthed the cognitive science of religion." --Justin L. Barrett, President, Blueprint 1543, USA

"Tom Lawson is one of the creators of the field of cognitive approaches to religious thought and behavior, and one of the main contributors to what is now an established discipline, with journals, meetings, and textbooks. Lawson was also a pioneer in the formal study of ritual behavior. The essays reflect the breadth and depth of his insights about the relations between human mental capacities and cultural variation." --Pascal Boyer, Professor of Individual and Collective Memory, Washington University in St. Louis, USA

"[Lawson] uses cognitive science to describe the mental capacities and processes that accompany religious thoughts and behaviors... [he] writes engagingly and in a tour de force tells readers how they can create their own religions... Highly recommended." --CHOICE

About the Author

Thomas Lawson is Professor Emeritus at Western Michigan University, USA. He is also Honorary Professor and Research Scientist at the Institute of Cognition and Culture, Queen's University Belfast, UK.