Tools and theories in the study of religion: historical, cognitive, and social-scientific approaches

Davidsen, M.A.

In Tools and Theories in the Study of Religion, we critically examine theories of religion, and practice how to ‘toy with theory.’ Students are introduced to a range of influential theories that model and explain central aspects of religion, including religious narratives, religious beliefs and thinking, religious experiences, and religious practices. These theories draw on a wide range of humanistic and social-scientific disciplines, including literary studies, cognitive science, and anthropology.

In class, we approach the theories through different forms of metatheory. Using metatheory on what makes a good theory of religion, we analyse the ‘theorising logic’ of the individual theories. We discuss what the theories aim to explain (i.e. the specificity, ontology, origin, configuration, and effects of an aspect of religion) and evaluate whether they do so convincingly. Furthermore, we ‘toy with the theories.’ Using metatheory on how to ‘work the data-theory spectrum’ we...

In Tools and Theories in the Study of Religion, we critically examine theories of religion, and practice how to ‘toy with theory.’ Students are introduced to a range of influential theories that model and explain central aspects of religion, including religious narratives, religious beliefs and thinking, religious experiences, and religious practices. These theories draw on a wide range of humanistic and social-scientific disciplines, including literary studies, cognitive science, and anthropology.

In class, we approach the theories through different forms of metatheory. Using metatheory on what makes a good theory of religion, we analyse the ‘theorising logic’ of the individual theories. We discuss what the theories aim to explain (i.e. the specificity, ontology, origin, configuration, and effects of an aspect of religion) and evaluate whether they do so convincingly. Furthermore, we ‘toy with the theories.’ Using metatheory on how to ‘work the data-theory spectrum’ we operationalise the theories as analytical tools and use them to examine concrete cases. In two Tools Assignments, students go on to make research designs that operationalise and apply theories with the aim of testing and possibly improving them. We also examine how our middle range theories on aspects of religion may be fitted together to form a coherent theory (or theory complex) for religion as a whole. Armed with metatheory on conceptual modelling, emergence, and causality, we explore how religious beliefs, rituals, experiences, and narratives affect each other within religious systems, and consider which other aspects of religion may play a role as well (such as moral intuitions, institutions, and identity). Particular attention is given to causality that crosses ontological levels—e.g., cognitive and embodied dispositions with cultural effects, and social dynamics that effect religious cognition in individuals. Rounding off the course, students write a Theory Paper in which they discuss and model the theories on one of the building-blocks of religion treated in the course (beliefs, rituals, experiences, or narratives) in relation to theory on the other building-blocks. This exercise of conceptual model building and theory integration helps consolidate students’ overview of the theories discussed in class.

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Tools and theories in the study of religion: historical, cognitive, and social-scientific approaches