Semantics of religion and its cognitive basis : an illustration of a case of Australian aboriginal religions
Vol.7,No.2(1999)
Abstract
Pages:
145–176
In the following paper author attempts to explain Boyer's cognitive theory of religion and to use its principles and ideas for a better understanding of some aspects of Australian Aboriginal religions. Author elaborates Boyer's main idea that the religious representations are created, shared and transmitted by means of the cognitive processes and mechanisms which strongly constraints their acquiring and distribution. The religious representations does not belong to some specific ontological level of reality, they are, on the contrary, to be considered for specific configurations of ideas and actions, unifying the counterintuitive and intuitive elements. Author explains this main hypothesis and after introducing it he uses it to explore set of religious ideas of Aboriginal tribes such as Yolngu and Walbiri.
145–176