عنوان

Cognitive Science of Religion and the Study of Islam:

LA121605

انگلیسی

Cognitive Science of Religion and the Study of Islam:

[Article]

Rethinking Islamic Theology, Law, Education, and Mysticism Using the Works of al-Ghazālī

Aria Nakissa

Leiden

Brill

Specialists in Islamic studies have taken virtually no interest in the influential and rapidly developing field of Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR). The present article seeks to address this problem by considering how insights from CSR can be systematically applied to reconceptualize Islamic theology, law, education, and mysticism. The article centers on what is probably CSR's most influential and well-established idea; namely, that religion is closely linked to an evolved "mindreading" ability (i.e., a "Theory of Mind Module"). It is argued that Islamic theology employs mindreading focused on events and objects in the universe, Islamic law and education employ mindreading focused on scriptural texts and embodied practices, and Islamic mysticism employs mindreading focused on psychological experiences. The article develops these ideas through an analysis of the Arabic-language writings of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, the famous medieval Islamic theologian, jurist, and mystic. Specialists in Islamic studies have taken virtually no interest in the influential and rapidly developing field of Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR). The present article seeks to address this problem by considering how insights from CSR can be systematically applied to reconceptualize Islamic theology, law, education, and mysticism. The article centers on what is probably CSR's most influential and well-established idea; namely, that religion is closely linked to an evolved "mindreading" ability (i.e., a "Theory of Mind Module"). It is argued that Islamic theology employs mindreading focused on events and objects in the universe, Islamic law and education employ mindreading focused on scriptural texts and embodied practices, and Islamic mysticism employs mindreading focused on psychological experiences. The article develops these ideas through an analysis of the Arabic-language writings of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, the famous medieval Islamic theologian, jurist, and mystic.

2020

205-232

Method & Theory in the Study of Religion

32/3

1570-0682

cognitive science

education

Islam

law

mysticism

theology

Aria Nakissa

10.1163/15700682-12341474

p

[Article]

275578

a

Y