Cognitive Approaches to Ancient Religious Experience

by: Eddinow, E. Geertz, A.W. North, J.

Price: 42,00 EURO

1 copy in stock

Cognitive Approaches to Ancient Religious Experience
Part of Ancient Religion and Cognition

EDITORS:Esther Eidinow, University of BristolArmin W. Geertz, Aarhus Universitet, DenmarkJohn North, University College London
Esther Eidinow, Armin W. Geertz, Quinton Deeley, John North, Hugh Bowden, Yulia Ustinova, Felix Budelmann, Maik Patzelt, Vivienne McGlashan, Leonardo Ambasciano, Michael Scott, Luther H. Martin, Anders Klostergaard Petersen, Isabella Sandwell

For some time interest has been growing in a dialogue between modern scientific research into human cognition and research in the humanities. This ground-breaking volume focuses this dialogue on the religious experience of men and women in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Each chapter examines a particular historical problem arising from an ancient religious activity and the contributions range across a wide variety of both ancient contexts and sources, exploring and integrating literary, epigraphic, visual and archaeological evidence. In order to avoid a simple polarity between physical aspects (ritual) and mental aspects (belief) of religion, the contributors draw on theories of cognition as embodied, emergent, enactive and extended, accepting the complexity, multimodality and multicausality of human life. Through this interdisciplinary approach, the chapters open up new questions around and develop new insights into the physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects of ancient religions.

Introduces the theories and results of cognitive science to those studying ancient Greece and Rome who lack prior expertise
Ensures that the Greek and Roman material is fully accessible to readers expert in the study of human cognition
Integrates a wide range of evidence – textual, visual and archaeological

Table of Contents
Introduction Esther Eidinow, Armin W. Geertz, Quinton Deeley, John North
Part I. Ritual:
1. A cognitive approach to ancient Greek animal sacrifice Hugh Bowden
2. To the netherworld and back: cognitive aspects of the descent to Trophonius Yulia Ustinova
Part II. Representation:
3. Ancient Greek smellscapes and divine fragrances: anthropomorphizing the gods in ancient Greek culture Esther Eidinow
4. Belief, make-believe and the religious imagination: the case of the Deus Ex Machina in Greek tragedy Felix Budelmann
5. Chanting and dancing into dissociation: the case of the Salian priests at Rome Maik Patzelt
Part III. Gender:
6. The Bacchants are silent: using cognitive science to explore the experience of the Oreibasia Vivienne McGlashan
7. Who is the Damiatrix? Roman women, the political negotiation of psychotropic experiences, and the cults of Bona Dea Leonardo Ambasciano
Part IV. Materiality:
8. Walls and the ancient Greek ritual experience: the sanctuary of Demeter and Kore at Eleusis Michael Scott
9. Identifying symptoms of religious experience from ancient material culture: the example of cults of the Roman Mithras Luther H. Martin
Part V. Texts:
10. Bridging the gap: from textual representations to the experiential level and back Anders Klostergaard Petersen
11. A relevant mystery: intuitive and reflective thought in Gregory of Nyssa's representations of divine begetting in the Against Eunomius Isabella Sandwell.

Cognitive Approaches to Ancient Religious Experience

by: Eddinow, E. Geertz, A.W. North, J.

• ISBN-13: 9781009011600 / 978-1-00-901160-0
• ISBN-03: 100901160X / 1-00-901160-X
• Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2023

Price: 42,00 EURO

1 copy in stock