Naturalism and Protectionism in the Study of Religions (Scientific Studies of Religion: Inquiry and Explanation)

"How should we study religion? Must we be religious ourselves to truly understand it? Do we study religion to advance our knowledge, or should the study of religions help to reintroduce the sacred into our increasingly secularized world? Juraj Franek argues that the study of religion has long been split into two competing paradigms: reductive (naturalist) and non-reductive (protectionist). While the naturalistic approach seems to run the risk of explaining religious phenomena away, the protectionist approach appears to risk falling short of the methodological standards of modern science. Franek uses primary source material from Greek and Latin sources to show that both competing paradigms are traceable to Presocratic philosophy and early Christian literature. He presents the idea that naturalists are distant heirs, not only of the French Enlightenment, but also of the Ionian one. Likewise, he argues that protectionists owe much of their arguments and strategies, not only to Luther and the Reformation, but to the earliest Christian literature. This book analyses the conflict between reductive and non-reductive approach in the modern study of religions, and positions the Cognitive Science of Religion against a background of previous theories - ancient and modern - to demonstrate its importance for the revindication of the naturalist paradigm"-- Provided by publisher Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Series page 3 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 7 Abbreviations 8 Image 12 1 Introduction: Methodological schism in the study of religions 14 2 Naturalistic paradigm: Critical reflexion of religion in Presocratic philosophy 22 2.1 Xenophanes 23 2.2 Democritus 27 2.3 Sisyphus- fragment 32 2.4 Prodicus 36 2.5 Conclusion: Main characteristics of the naturalistic paradigm 40 3 Protectionist paradigm: Early Christian literature between faith and reason 44 3.1 Faith and reason 45 3.2 Warrants of faith (1): Miracles 46 3.3 Warrants of faith (2): Moral superiority 50 3.4 Warrants of faith (3): divine inspiration 52 3.5 Warrants of faith (4): Prophecy 54 3.6 Warrants of faith (5): Tradition 55 3.7 Athens and Jerusalem 56 3.8 Protectionist paradigm and epistemic justification 61 4 Naturalism and protectionism in the study of religions (1): The beginnings 64 4.1 Naturalistic paradigm in the study of religions until 1945 66 4.2 Protectionist paradigm in the study of religions until 1945 78 5 Naturalism and protectionism in the study of religions (2): The rise and fall of phenomenology 88 5.1 The emergence of classical phenomenology 89 5.2 Phenomenology and its critics after 1945 101 5.3 Conclusion: Elimination of the naturalistic paradigm in the study of religions 109 6 Cognitive science of religion (1): Methodology 112 6.1 Methodological isolationism 113 6.2 Religion, morality and evolution 118 6.3 Selfish genes 122 6.4 Rediscovery of human nature 123 6.5 Methodological consilience 126 6.6 The return of naturalism 129 7 Cognitive science of religion (2): Terminology 130 7.1 On the advantage and disadvantage of definition for the life (of religious studies) 130 7.2 Definition of religion and CSR 131 7.3 Essentialism: Tylor–Durkheim dichotomy 133 7.4 ‘Naïve’ social constructionism 135 7.5 Power-based social constructionism 136 7.6 Cognitive definition of religion 138 7.7 Has the cognitive science of religion (re)defined ‘religion’? 142 8 Cognitive science of religion (3): Practical application 144 8.1 The Muse in Homer and Hesiod: Primary data 145 8.2 The interpretations of the invocations: Status Quaestionis 149 8.3 Cognitive approach to invocations 152 8.4 Conclusion 157 9 Conclusion: A return of the prodigal son? 158 Notes 166 Editions 236 References 242 Index 272