1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910788113003321

Autore

Cassell Paul <1964->

Titolo

Religion, emergence, and the origins of meaning : beyond Durkheim and Rappaport / / by Paul Cassell

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Leiden, Netherlands ; ; Boston, Massachusetts : , : Brill, , 2015

©2015

ISBN

90-04-29365-5

90-04-29376-0

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (203 p.)

Collana

Philosophical Studies in Science and Religion, , 1877-8542 ; ; Volume 5

Disciplina

210

Soggetti

Religion - Philosophy

Emergence (Philosophy)

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Originally presented as the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--Boston University, 2012.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Preliminary Material -- Religion as an Emergent Phenomenon -- Rappaport, Revisited -- Emergence and Semiotics – a Primer -- Religion’s Emergent Characteristics -- David Sloan Wilson and Daniel Dennett – Religion without Meaning -- Émile Durkheim and the Emergence of Meaningful Social Agency -- Varieties of Religious Meaning -- Appendix: Confucianism as a Test Case -- Works Cited -- Index.

Sommario/riassunto

Why is religion so important to individuals and societies? What gives religion its profound meaningfulness and longevity? Enhancing perspectives taken from sociology and ritual theory, Religion, Emergence, and the Origins of Meaning describes how ‘emergence theory’ – developed to make sense of life and mind – explains why religious communities are special when compared to ordinary human social groups. Paul Cassell argues that in religious ritual, beliefs concerning unseen divine agencies are made uniquely potent, inviting and guiding powerful, alternative experiences, and giving religious groups a form of organization distinct from ordinary human social groups. Going beyond the foundational descriptions of Émile Durkheim and Roy Rappaport, Cassell utilizes the best of 21st century emergence theory to characterize religion’s emergent dynamics.