1. Emotional History of Religion: Emerging Approaches to Cultural History

Abstract

Scholars of Cultural History are adopting new approaches to explain the significance of emotions, derived either from religious ideas or religious rituals which are performed because of various emotions. By analyzing emotional vocabulary in primary sources, these cultural historians examine rituals that involve emotions such as happiness and tears. Similarly, folktales are narrated to invoke particular emotions in the audience. Even material cultural objects such as buildings are either products of emotions or meant to invoke emotions. This article discusses the various approaches which cultural historians may adopt while practicing the emotional history of a religion.