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 indexes
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 ; Conclusion -- Explanation : attributing causality. Attribution theory : an overview ; An attributional theory of religion ; Four levels of analysis and attribution ; Conclusion -- Comparison : constructing an object of study. Comparing experiences ; Specifying a point of comparison ; Comparing simple and composite formations ; Imagination and reality -- Religions : a building block approach. Building blocks ; Religions as composite formations ; Implications