Religious experience reconsidered : a building block approach to the study of religion and other special things
Princeton, N.J.
Princeton University Press
Includes bibliographical references and index
Ann Taves
Introduction: The problem of "religious experience" -- Experiences deemed religious -- Previous work -- The argument -- Why an attributional approach is better -- Religion : deeming things religious -- The sui generis and ascriptive models of "religious experience" -- Deeming things religious -- Special things and things set apart -- Setting up research -- Conclusion: A four-fold matrix -- Experience : accessing conscious behavior -- Clarifying the concept -- Accessing experience -- Representation and experience revisited -- Explanation : attributing causality -- Attribution theory : an overview -- An attributional theory of religion -- Levels of analysis and attribution -- Comparison : constructing an object of study -- Comparing experiences -- Specifying a point of comparison -- Comparing simple and composite formations -- Imagination and reality -- Conclusion: Religions : a building block approach -- Building blocks -- Religions as composite formations -- Implications