reconceptualising religion : a philosophical critique of religious studies as cultural studies

Reconceptualising Religion : A Philosophical Critique of Religious Studies as Cultural Studies

The aim of my argument (1) is to reconceptualise what is now called religious studies as the study of institutionalised values, and the relation between values and the legitimation of power in a specific society. Though I do not talk much about power here, it is always a fundamental issue in the study of specific social groups.The first assumption which I make in this paper is that the way anal...

From Brain Imaging Religious Experience to Explaining Religion: A Critique

Recent functional neuroimaging data, acquired in studies of religious experience, have been used to explain and justify religion and its origins. In this paper, we critique the move from describing brain activity associated with self-reported religious states, to explaining why there is religion at all. Toward that end, first we review recent neuroimaging findings on religious experience, and s...

the effectiveness of strategy-based instruction in teaching english as a second or foreign language: a meta-analysis of experimental studies

a large number of single research studies on the effects of strategy-based instruction (sbi) in teaching english as a foreign or second language has been conducted so far. however, the lack of a comprehensive meta-analysis targeting the effectiveness of english language sbi is observed. moreover, the findings of experimental studies regarding the context of the english language, proficiency lev...

Understanding Scientific Practices: Cultural Studies of Science as a Philosophical Program

Quantitative Studies of Religion

If God does heal, then evidence can be sought in two ways. The first approach uses quantitative statistical analyses of groups of people; this is a technique with which we are familiar and is the basic principle underlying this book. The second method is to seek and document completely unexpected healing in an individual as a result of prayer in short, to recognise a miracle. Such an event is b...

Aspects of reductionism in religious studies

  Reductionism is a major methodological mistake in research and generally in thought; because it can pose as an obstacle to comprehensive views about the researched issue. This issue is more tangible in religious phenomena - due to the multidimensional entity of this subject – and can be more destructive. A researcher through focusing on one role and aspect of religion and concentrating on a ...