Religion a Human Capacity: A Festschrift in Honor of E. Thomas Lawson (Studies in the History of Religions, 99) (Studies in the History of Religions)

479 Pages·2004·2.02 MB·English

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RELIGION AS A HUMAN CAPACITY
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NUMEN BOOK SERIES
STUDIES IN THE HISTORY
OF RELIGIONS
edited by
W.J. HANEGRAAFF
advisory board
P. Antes, M. Despland, RI.J. Hackett, M. Abumalham Mas, A.W. Geertz,
G. ter Haar, G.L. Lease, M.N. Getui, I.S. Gilhus, P. Morris, J.K. Olupona,
E. Thomassen, A. Tsukimoto, A.T. Wasim
VOLUME XCIX
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RELIGION AS A HUMAN
CAPACITY
a festschrift in honor of e. thomas lawson
EDITED BY
TIMOTHY LIGHT and BRIAN C. WILSON
BRILL
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2004
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This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Religion as a human sacrifice : a festschrift in honor of E. Thomas Lawson / edited by
Timothy Light and Brian C. Wilson.
p. cm. — (Numen book series. Studies in the history of religions: v. 99)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 90-04-12676-7 (alk. paper)
1. Religion. I. Lawson, E. Thomas. II. Light, Timothy. III. Wilson, Brian C. IV. Studies
in the history of religions ; 99
BL50.R426365 2003
200—dc21
2003056284
ISSN 0169-8834
ISBN 90 04 12676 7
© Copyright 2004 by Koninklijke Brill nv, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written
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Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910
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Fees are subject to change.
printed in the netherlands
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STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS
NUMEN BOOK SERIES
8 K.W. Bolle. The Persistence of Religion. An Essay on Tantrism and Sri Auro-
bindo’s Philosophy. Repr. 1971. ISBN 90 04 03307 6
17 Liber Amicorum. Studies in honour of Professor Dr. C.J. Bleeker. Published on
the occasion of his retirement from the Chair of the History of Religions
and the Phenomenology of Religion at the University of Amsterdam.
1969. ISBN 90 04 03092 1
19 U. Bianchi, C.J. Bleeker & A. Bausani (eds.). Problems and Methods of the
History of Religions. Proceedings of the Study Conference organized by the
Italian Society for the History of Religions on the Occasion of the Tenth
Anniversary of the Death of Raffaele Pettazzoni, Rome 6th to 8th
December 1969. Papers and discussions. 1972. ISBN 90 04 02640 1
31 C.J. Bleeker, G. Widengren & E.J. Sharpe (eds.). Proceedings of the 12th In-
ternational Congress, Stockholm 1970. 1975. ISBN 90 04 04318 7
34 V.L. Oliver, Caodai Spiritism. A Study of Religion in Vietnamese Society.
With a preface by P. Rondot. 1976. ISBN 90 04 04547 3
41 B. Layton (ed.). The Rediscovery of Gnosticism. Proceedings of the Interna-
tional Conference on Gnosticism atYale, New Haven, Conn., March 28-31,
1978. Two vols.
1.The School of Valentinus. 1980. ISBN 90 04 06177 0 Out of print
2. Sethian Gnosticism. 1981. ISBN 90 04 06178 9
43 M. Heerma vanVoss, D.J. Hoens, G. Mussies, D. van der Plas & H. teVelde
(eds.). Studies in Egyptian Religion, dedicated to Professor Jan Zandee. 1982.
ISBN 90 04 06728 0
44 P.J. Awn. Satan’s Tragedy and Redemption. IblÊs in Sufi Psychology. With a fore-
word by A. Schimmel. 1983. ISBN 90 04 06906 2
45 R. Kloppenborg (ed.). Selected Studies on Ritual in the Indian Religions.
Essays to D.J. Hoens. 1983. ISBN 90 04 07129 6
50 S. Shaked, D. Shulman & G.G. Stroumsa (eds.). Gilgul. Essays on Trans-
formation, Revolution and Permanence in the History of Religions,
dedicated to R.J. ZwiWerblowsky. 1987. ISBN 90 04 08509 2
52 J.G. Griffiths. The Divine Verdict. A Study of Divine Judgement in the Ancient
Religions. 1991. ISBN 90 04 09231 5
53 K. Rudolph. Geschichte und Probleme der Religionswissenschaft. 1992.
ISBN 90 04 09503 9
54 A.N. Balslev & J.N. Mohanty (eds.). Religion andTime. 1993.
ISBN 90 04 09583 7
55 E. Jacobson. The Deer Goddess of Ancient Siberia. A Study in the Ecology of
Belief. 1993. ISBN 90 04 09628 0
56 B. Saler. Conceptualizing Religion. Immanent Anthropologists, Transcendent
Natives, and Unbounded Categories. 1993. ISBN 90 04 09585 3
57 C. Knox. Changing Christian Paradigms. And their Implications for Modern
Thought. 1993. ISBN 90 04 09670 1
58 J. Cohen. The Origins and Evolution of the Moses Nativity Story. 1993.
ISBN 90 04 09652 3
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59 S. Benko. The Virgin Goddess. Studies in the Pagan and Christian Roots of
Mariology. 1993. ISBN 90 04 09747 3
60 Z.P. Thundy. Buddha and Christ. Nativity Stories and Indian Traditions.
1993. ISBN 90 04 09741 4
61 S. Hjelde. Die Religionswissenschaft und das Christentum. Eine historische
Untersuchung über das Verhältnis von Religionswissenschaft und Theolo-
gie. 1994. ISBN 90 04 09922 0
62 Th.A. Idinopulos & E.A. Yonan (eds.). Religion and Reductionism. Essays on
Eliade, Segal, and the Challenge of the Social Sciences for the Study of
Religion. 1994. ISBN 90 04 09870 4
63 S. Khalil Samir & J.S. Nielsen (eds.). Christian Arabic Apologetics during the
Abbasid Period (750-1258). 1994. ISBN 90 04 09568 3
64 S.N. Balagangadhara. ‘The Heathen in His Blindness...’ Asia, theWest and the
Dynamic of Religion. 1994. ISBN 90 04 09943 3
65 H.G. Kippenberg & G.G. Stroumsa (eds.). Secrecy and Concealment. Studies in
the History of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Religions. 1995.
ISBN 90 04 10235 3
66 R. Kloppenborg & W.J. Hanegraaff (eds.). Female Stereotypes in Religious
Traditions. 1995. ISBN 90 04 10290 6
67 J. Platvoet & K. van der Toorn (eds.). Pluralism and Identity. Studies on Ritual
Behaviour. 1995. ISBN 90 04 10373 2
68 G. Jonker. The Topography of Remembrance. The Dead, Tradition and Col-
lective Memory in Mesopotamia. 1995. ISBN 90 04 10162 4
69 S. Biderman. Scripture and Knowledge. An Essay on Religious Epistemology.
1995. ISBN 90 04 10154 3
70 G.G. Stroumsa. Hidden Wisdom. EsotericTraditions and the Roots of Chris-
tian Mysticism. 1996. ISBN 90 04 10504 2
71 J.G. Katz. Dreams, Sufism and Sainthood. The Visionary Career of Muham-
mad al-Zawâwî. 1996. ISBN 90 04 10599 9
72 W.J. Hanegraaff. New Age Religion and Western Culture. Esotericism in the
Mirror of Secular Thought. 1996. ISBN 90 04 10695 2
73 T.A. Idinopulos & E.A. Yonan (eds.). The Sacred and its Scholars. Comparative
Methodologies for the Study of Primary Religious Data. 1996.
ISBN 90 04 10623 5
74 K. Evans. Epic Narratives in the HoysaÏa Temples. The R§m§yaÖa, Mah§bh§-
rata and Bh§gavata Pur§Öa in HaÏebÊd, Belår and AmÜtapura. 1997.
ISBN 90 04 10575 1
75 P. Schäfer & H.G. Kippenberg (eds.). Envisioning Magic. A Princeton
Seminar and Symposium. 1997. ISBN 90 04 10777 0
77 P. Schäfer & M.R. Cohen (eds.). Toward the Millennium. Messianic Expecta-
tions from the Bible toWaco. 1998. ISBN 90 04 11037 2
78 A.I. Baumgarten, with J. Assmann & G.G. Stroumsa (eds.). Self, Soul and Body
in Religious Experience. 1998. ISBN 90 04 10943 9
79 M. Houseman & C. Severi. Naven or the Other Self. A Relational Approach
to Ritual Action. 1998. ISBN 90 04 11220 0
80 A.L. Molendijk & P. Pels (eds.). Religion in the Making. The Emergence of
the Sciences of Religion. 1998. ISBN 90 04 11239 1
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81 Th.A. Idinopulos & B.C. Wilson (eds.). What is Religion? Origins, Defini-
tions, & Explanations. 1998. ISBN 90 04 11022 4
82 A. van der Kooij & K. van der Toorn (eds.). Canonization & Decanonization.
Papers presented to the International Conference of the Leiden
Institute for the Study of Religions (lisor) held at Leiden 9-10 January
1997. 1999. ISBN 90 04 11246 4
83 J. Assmann & G.G. Stroumsa (eds.). Transformations of the Inner Self in
Ancient Religions. 1999. ISBN 90 04 11356 8
84 J.G. Platvoet & A.L. Molendijk (eds.). The Pragmatics of Defining Religion.
Contexts, Concepts & Contests. 1999. ISBN 90 04 11544 7
85 B.J. Malkovsky (ed.). New Perspectives on Advaita Ved§nta. Essays in Com-
memoration of Professor Richard De Smet, sj. 2000.
ISBN 90 04 11666 4
86 A.I. Baumgarten (ed.). Apocalyptic Time. 2000. ISBN 90 04 11879 9
87 S. Hjelde (ed.). Man, Meaning, and Mystery. Hundred Years of History of
Religions in Norway. The Heritage of W. Brede Kristensen. 2000.
ISBN 90 04 11497 1
88 A. Korte (ed.). Women and Miracle Stories. A Multidisciplinary Exploration.
2000. ISBN 90 04 11681 8
89 J. Assmann & A.I. Baumgarten (eds.). Representation in Religion. Studies in
Honor of Moshe Barasch. 2001. ISBN 90 04 11939 6
90 O. Hammer. Claiming Knowledge. Strategies of Epistemology from Theos-
ophy to the New Age. 2001. ISBN 90 04 12016 5
91 B.J. Malkovsky. The Role of Divine Grace in the Soteriology of “aÒkar§c§rya.
2001. ISBN 90 04 12044 0
92 T.A. Idinopulos & B.C. Wilson (eds.). Reappraising Durkheim for the Study
and Teaching of Religion Today. 2002. ISBN 90 04 12339 3.
93 A.I. Baumgarten (eds.). Sacrifice in Religious Experience. 2002.
ISBN 90 04 12483 7
94 L.P. van den Bosch. F.M. Müller. A Life Devoted to the Humanities. 2002.
ISBN 90 04 12505 1
95 G. Wiegers. Modern Societies & the Science of Religions. Studies in Honour of
Lammert Leertouwer. 2002. ISBN 90 04 11665 6
96 D. Zeidan. The Resurgence of Religion. A Comparative Study of Selected
Themes in Christian and Islamic Fundamentalist Discourses. 2003.
ISBN 90 04 12877 8
97 S. Meyer (ed.). Egypt — Temple of the Whole World / Ägypten — Tempel der
Gesamten Welt. Studies in Honour of Jan Assmann. 2003.
ISBN 90 04 13240 6
98 I. Strenski. Theology and the First Theory of Sacrifice. 2003.
ISBN 90 04 13559 6
99 T. Light & B.C. Wilson (eds.). Religion as a Human Capacity. A Festschrift in
Honor of E. Thomas Lawson. 2003. ISBN 90 04 12676 7
100 A.E. Buss. The Russian-Orthodox Tradition and Modernity. 2003.
ISBN 90 04 13324 0
101 K.A. Jacobsen & P.P. Kumar (eds.). South Asians in the Diaspora. Histories
and Religious Traditions. 2004. ISBN 90 04 12488 8
102 M. Stausberg. Zoroastrian Rituals in Context. 2003. ISBN 90 04 13131 0
ISSN 0169-8834
i i OASI/BRIL/LIGH/11476/07-10-2003
60 chapter two
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v
CONTENTS
Dedicatory Preface .................................................................... ix
List of Contributors .................................................................. xi
INTRODUCTIONS
A Brief Intellectual Biography of E. Thomas Lawson .......... 3
B C. W
Religion as a Human Capacity ................................................ 15
T L
PART ONE
THEORETICAL STUDIES
1. Out Of Africa: Lessons From a By-product of Evolution 27
P B
2. Is Religion a Rube Goldberg Device?
Or Oh, What a Difference a Theory Makes! .................. 45
R N. MC
3. Why Do We Need Cognitive Theories of Religion? ........ 65
H W
4. Can Science Fabricate Meaning? On Ritual,
Religion, and the Academic Study of Religion ................ 89
D W
5. Pathways to Knowledge in Comparative Religion:
Clearing Ground for New Conceptual Resources ............ 105
V A
6. Comparative Religion in the State of Nature .................... 121
W E. P