Abstract
This review recognizes that Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living has many good qualities and relates a story of scholarship that, according to the assertions of the author, heralds a brave new world of interdisciplinary examination of research objects heretofore the traditional and exclusive province of anthropology, comparative religion, and the humanities in general. But despite the seemingly broad sense of acceptance this book claims for the Cognitive Science of Religion, the decades-old field upon which the tenets of this book are based, in reality it betrays itself as a microcosm of a niche-driven interpretation often found in the social sciences and humanities, i.e. dismissing some and ignoring other extant work in order to claim unique subject matter expertise. Unfortunately, that exercise results in the sacrifice of (1) parsimonious explanatory claims and (2) veritable engagement with the already existing and robust interdisciplinary and well-funded research programs addressing ritualized behavior, all to the detriment of the ostensible claims the book makes championing a robust, interdisciplinary epistemological pluralism.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.