[Discussion] CfP: Origins of Religion, Cognition and Culture, January 5-7, 2006, Aarhus, Denmark

Sun, 28 Aug 2005 11:53:48 +0300

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Call for papers

Origins of Religion, Cognition and Culture

Laboratory of Theories of Religion
Research Project "Religion, Cognition and Culture"
University of Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark

January 5-7, 2006

The conference will mark the first of a series of conferences on special =
themes in our four-year research project on "Religion, Cognition and =
Culture" (2005-2008). The Laboratory on Theories of Religion at the =
Department of the Study of Religion was awarded the project by the =
Faculty of Theology at the University of Aarhus. The Chairman is Armin =
W. Geertz and the Coordinator is Jep! pe Sinding Jensen.

The research group consists of scholars from a wide range of disciplines =
at our university and abroad. Our goal is to explore the interstices of =
religion, cognition and culture in an attempt to bring culture back into =
cognitive study (a problem which has afflicted the cognitive science of =
religion as well as other cognitive approaches for quite a while).

The topic "Origins of Religion, Cognition and Culture" can be seen as =
one of the most interesting, challenging and provocative topics in the =
cognitive science of religion. It must certainly also be counted as one =
of the most fundamental topics for the human sciences in general and =
religious studies in particular. During the past twenty years, major =
advances have been made in a wide variety of disciplines and sciences: =
comparative religion,evolutionary psychology, cognitive archaeology, =
neurosciences, ethology, developmental psychology, social psychology, =
cognitive linguistics
palaeo-anthropology and genetics. Efforts to discover and explain the =
evolutionary origins of Homo sapiens sapiens have led to a wide variety =
of hypotheses based on attempts to define what is particularly human =
about human beings. We read of the Grandmother Hypothesis, the aquatic =
ape, man the tool-maker, man the hunter, woman the gatherer, symbolic =
thresholds, the speaking ape, social intelligence, the Great Hominid =
Escape from the nervous system, epistemic hunger, the hybrid mind, and =
so on. All of these attempts to understand the origins of humanity have =
raised fundamental questions about the complex relationship between =
cognition and culture. Are they two sides of the same coin? Or is =
culture epiphenomenal to other more basic processes? And how does =
religion fit into the picture? Central to the debates on origins is the =
role of religion, religious ritual and religious experience. What came =
first: individual religious (ecstatic) experiences, collective =
observances of transition situations, fear of death, ritual competence, =
magical coercion, mirror neurons or temporal lobe religiosity? Together =
with the development of symbolic thinking, the role of material culture, =
the role of written language and abstract thought in the development of =
religious systems, the rise of symbolic identities and so on, are all =
central areas of competence in the humanities and social sciences. =
Cognitive scientists are now providing us with important insights on =
phylogenetic and ontogenetic processes, and we would do well to listen =
to them. Together with insights from the humanities and social sciences =
on the origins, development and maintenance of complex semiotic, social =
and cultur! al systems, a general picture of what is particularly human =
about humans should emerge. Reflections on the preconditions for =
symbolic and linguistic competence and practice are now within our =
grasp.

Papers are encouraged on any of the above-mentioned topics. We encourage =
participants from a wide variety of disciplines in the human, social and =
natural sciences to attend. Ph.d. candidates are also encouraged to give =
reports or short papers as well. Types of papers beside the invited =
keynote talks will be: papers (30 + 15 min.) and brief =
presentations/reports (20+10 min.).

The conference organizers are planning to produce a conference volume of =
selected papers which is slated to appear in a new series titled =
Religion, Cognition and Culture at Equinox Press in London. The =
conference will also host the inaugural meeting of the International =
Association for the Cognitive Science of Religion (IACSR). The main =
purpose of the IACSR would be to meet annually and talk about our =
favorite subject.

The preliminary mission statement is:
1. to coordinate and to support research projects in the cognitive =
science of religion
2. to disseminate information about these projects and to support and =
encourage the publication of research (on-line journal?)
3. to meet annually to discuss current and projected research projects =
Further details will be provided as we approach the inaugural meeting =
but we invite colleagues to become Founding Members. In order to be =
considered a founding member, we request an initial payment of 80 =
euros/100 US dollars. Sponsoring Organizations are invited to contribute =
an initial payment  of 160 euros/200 US dollars. For further details, =
please visit the IACSR website at: http://www.iacsr.com

Venue: Faculty of Theology, University of Aarhus, Denmark
Dates: January 5-7, 2006 (international participants, please plan on =
arriving on the 4th and departing on the 8th)
Conference fee: DKK 300
Deadline for titles, type of paper to be given, 10-line abstracts and =
other information (position, degree, institutional and email addresses): =

December 15, 2005
All inquiries should be sent to: cogconf@teo.au.dk=20

Accommodations: Please arrange your own accommodations. A complete list =
of hotels can be found at this address:=20
http://www.visitaarhus.com/composite-1717.htm=20
We recommend the following hotel: CAB INN Aarhus http://www.cabinn.dk/

Armin W. Geertz & Jeppe Sinding Jensen
Department of the Study of Religion
Universi! ty of Aarhus, Taasingegade 3
DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

http://www.teo.au.dk/en/research/current/cognition

Best wishes,

Peter Westh
Ph.d. Student
Copenhagen University
Department of Cross-cultural and Regional Studies
History of Religions Section
pwesth@hum.ku.dk=20
+45 40 21 97 16
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<DIV align=3Djustify>Call for =
papers Origins of=20
Religion, Cognition and Culture Laboratory of Theories of=20
Religion Research Project "Religion, Cognition and =
Culture" University of=20
Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark January 5-7, 2006 The=20
conference will mark the first of a series of conferences =
on&nbsp;special themes=20
in our four-year research project on "Religion, Cognition and Culture"=20
(2005-2008). The Laboratory on Theories of Religion at the Department of =
the=20
Study of Religion was awarded the project by the Faculty of Theology at =
the=20
University of Aarhus. The Chairman is Armin W. Geertz and the =
Coordinator is=20
Jep! pe Sinding Jensen. The research group consists of scholars =
from a=20
wide range of&nbsp;disciplines at our university and abroad. Our goal is =
to=20
explore the interstices of religion, cognition and culture in an attempt =
to=20
bring culture back into cognitive study (a problem which has afflicted =
the=20
cognitive science of religion as well as other cognitive approaches for =
quite a=20
while). The topic "Origins of Religion, Cognition and Culture" =
can be=20
seen as one of the most interesting, challenging and provocative topics =
in the=20
cognitive science of religion. It must certainly also be counted as one =
of the=20
most fundamental topics for the human sciences in general and religious =
studies=20
in particular. During the past twenty years, major advances have =
been&nbsp;made=20
in a wide variety of disciplines and sciences: comparative =
religion,evolutionary=20
psychology, cognitive archaeology, neurosciences, ethology, =
developmental=20
psychology, social psychology, cognitive =
linguistics palaeo-anthropology and=20
genetics. Efforts to discover and explain the evolutionary origins of =
Homo=20
sapiens sapiens have led to a wide variety of hypotheses based on =
attempts to=20
define what is particularly human about human beings. We read of the =
Grandmother=20
Hypothesis, the aquatic ape, man the tool-maker, man the hunter, woman =
the=20
gatherer, symbolic thresholds, the speaking ape, social intelligence, =
the Great=20
Hominid Escape from the nervous system, epistemic hunger, the hybrid =
mind, and=20
so on. All of these attempts to understand the origins of humanity have =
raised=20
fundamental questions about the complex relationship between cognition =
and=20
culture. Are they two sides of the same coin? Or is culture =
epiphenomenal to=20
other more basic processes? And how does religion fit into the picture? =
Central=20
to the debates on origins is the role of religion, religious ritual and=20
religious experience. What came first: individual =
religious&nbsp;(ecstatic)=20
experiences, collective observances of transition situations, fear of =
death,=20
ritual competence, magical coercion, mirror neurons or temporal lobe=20
religiosity? Together with the development of symbolic thinking, the =
role of=20
material culture, the role of written language and abstract thought in =
the=20
development of religious systems, the rise of symbolic identities and so =
on, are=20
all central areas of competence in the humanities and social sciences. =
Cognitive=20
scientists are now providing us with important insights on phylogenetic =
and=20
ontogenetic processes, and we would do well to listen to them. Together =
with=20
insights from the humanities and social sciences on the origins, =
development and=20
maintenance of complex semiotic, social and cultur! al systems, a =
general=20
picture of what is particularly human about humans should emerge. =
Reflections on=20
the preconditions for symbolic and linguistic competence and practice =
are now=20
within our grasp. Papers are encouraged on any of the =
above-mentioned=20
topics. We encourage participants from a wide variety of disciplines in =
the=20
human, social and natural sciences to attend. Ph.d. candidates are also=20
encouraged to give reports or short papers as well. Types of papers =
beside the=20
invited keynote talks will be: papers (30 + 15 min.) and brief=20
presentations/reports (20+10 min.). The conference organizers are =

planning to produce a conference volume of selected papers which is =
slated to=20
appear in a new series titled Religion, Cognition and Culture at Equinox =
Press=20
in London. The conference will also host the inaugural meeting of the=20
International Association for the Cognitive Science of Religion (IACSR). =
The=20
main purpose of the IACSR would be to meet annually and talk about our =
favorite=20
subject. </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>The preliminary mission =
statement=20
is: 1. to coordinate and to support research projects in the =
cognitive=20
science of religion 2. to disseminate information about these =
projects and to=20
support and encourage the publication of research (on-line =
journal?) 3. to=20
meet annually to discuss current and projected research projects Further =
details=20
will be provided as we approach the inaugural meeting but we invite =
colleagues=20
to become Founding Members. In order to be considered a founding member, =
we=20
request an initial payment of 80 euros/100 US dollars. Sponsoring =
Organizations=20
are invited to contribute an initial payment&nbsp; of 160 euros/200 US =
dollars.=20
For further details, please visit the IACSR website at: <A=20
href=3D"http://www.iacsr.com">http://www.iacsr.com</A> Venue: =
Faculty of=20
Theology, University of Aarhus, Denmark Dates: January 5-7, 2006=20
(international participants, please plan on arriving on the 4th and =
departing on=20
the 8th) Conference fee: DKK 300 Deadline for titles, type of =
paper to be=20
given, 10-line abstracts and other information (position, degree, =
institutional=20
and email addresses): December 15, 2005 All inquiries should be =
sent to:=20
<A href=3D"mailto:cogconf@teo.au.dk">cogconf@teo.au.dk</A> =
 Accommodations:=20
Please arrange your own accommodations. A complete list&nbsp;of hotels =
can be=20
found at this address: </DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><A=20
href=3D"http://www.visitaarhus.com/composite-1717.htm">http://www.visitaa=
rhus.com/composite-1717.htm</A>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify>We recommend the following =
hotel: CAB INN=20
Aarhus <A =
href=3D"http://www.cabinn.dk/">http://www.cabinn.dk/</A> Armin W. =

Geertz &amp; Jeppe Sinding Jensen Department of the Study of=20
Religion Universi! ty of Aarhus, Taasingegade 3 DK-8000 Aarhus C,=20
Denmark <A=20
href=3D"http://www.teo.au.dk/en/research/current/cognition">http://www.te=
o.au.dk/en/research/current/cognition</A> Best=20
wishes, Peter Westh Ph.d. Student Copenhagen=20
University Department of Cross-cultural and Regional =
Studies History of=20
Religions Section <A =
href=3D"mailto:pwesth@hum.ku.dk">pwesth@hum.ku.dk</A>=20
 +45 40 21 97 16</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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