Science of religion : studies in methodology : proceedings of the study conference of the International Association for the History of Religions, held in Turku, Finland, August 27-31, 1973

Since its founding by Jacques Waardenburg in 1971, Religion and Reason has been a leading forum for contributions on theories, theoretical issues and agendas related to the phenomenon and the study of religion. Topics include (among others) category formation, comparison, ethnophilosophy, hermeneutics, methodology, myth, phenomenology, philosophy of science, scientific atheism, structuralism, and theories of religion. From time to time the series publishes volumes that map the state of the art and the history of the discipline. PREFACE LIST OF PARTICIPANTS INTRODUCTION BY LAURI HONKO PART ONE: ORAL AND WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF RELIGIOUS TRADITION 1A. Preliterate Stages and Formation of the Canon in Book Religions Helmer Ringgren, Problems of the Formation and Function of a Canon M. Heerma van Voss, Methodology and the Egyptian Book of the Dead Commentary by Jan Bergman Commentary by Carl-Martin Edsman Discussion 1B. Taxonomy and Source Criticism of Oral Tradition Juha Pentikäinen, Taxonomy and Source Criticism of Oral Tradition Anna-Birgitta Rooth, On the Difficulty of Transcribing Synchronic Perception into Diachronic Verbalization Commentary by Leander Petzoldt Discussion 1C. Literary Source Criticism Joseph Kitagawa, Early Shinto: A Case Study Kurt Rudolph, The Position of Source Research in Religious Studies Commentary by Ileana Chirassi-Colombo Commentary by William Klassen Commentary by Eric Segelberg Discussion PART TWO: THE FUTURE OF THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF RELIGION 2A. Evaluation of Previous Methods Haralds Biezais, Typology of Religion and the Phenomenological Method Carsten Colpe, Symbol Theory and Copy Theory as Basic Epistemological and Conceptual Alternatives in Religious Studies Commentary by C.J. Bleeker Commentary by Walter H. Capps Commentary by H.-J. Klimkeit Commentary by Reinhard Pummer Commentary by Eric J. Sharpe Discussion 2B. Religio-ecological Approach Åke Hultkrantz, Ecology of Religion: Its Scope and Methodology Svein Bjerke, Ecology of Religion, Evolutionism and Comparative Religion Commentary by Manfred Büttner Commentary by Asok K. Ghosh Commentary by C. G. Oosthuizen Commentary by Edmund Perry Commentary by Zygmunt Poniatowski Discussion 2C. Religio-anthropological Approach Ugo Bianchi, The History of Religions and the ‘Religioanthropological Approach’ Melford E. Spiro, Symbolism and Functionalism in the Anthropological Study of Religion Commentary by Horst Cain Commentary by Hans H. Penner Commentary by Robert F. Spencer Commentary by Annemarie de Waal Malefijt Discussion PART THREE: RELIGION AS EXPRESSIVE CULTURE 3A. Theories Concerning the Ritual Process Lauri Honko, Theories Concerning the Ritual Process: An Orientation James Peacock, Notes on a Theory of the Social Evolution of Ritual Commentary by G. J. F. Bouritius Commentary by Jacques H. Kamstra Commentary by Anthony Jackson Discussion 3B. The Language of Religion James Barr, The Language of Religion Jacques Waardenburg, The Language of Religion, and the Study of Religions as Sign Systems Commentary by Aili Nenola-Kallio Commentary by Ninian Smart Commentary by Hans Wissman Discussion 3C. Depth Structures of Religious Expression J. van Baal, The Scandal of Religion Kurt Goldammer, Is There a Method of Symbol Research Which Offers Hermeneutic Access to Depth-Dimensions of Religious Experience? Commentary by Th. P. van Baaren Commentary by Ulf Drobin Commentary by Michael Pye Commentary by R.J. Zwi Werblowsky Discussion INDEX OF PERSONAL NAMES INDEX OF SUBJECTS

Sinceits founding by Jacques Waardenburg in 1971, Religion and Reason has been a leading forum for contributions on theories, theoretical issues and agendas related to the phenomenon and the study of religion. Topics include (among others) category formation, comparison, ethnophilosophy, hermeneutics, methodology, myth, phenomenology, philosophy of science, scientific atheism, structuralism, and theories of religion. From time to time the series publishes volumes that map the state of the art and the history of the discipline.