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Rituale und Kognition

Zum Nutzen des kognitiven Erklärungsmodells von Harvey Whitehouse für die Religionswissenschaft
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Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 11. März 2014
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Zusammenfassung

In diesem Beitrag diskutiere ich Whitehouses Theorie der Modi der Religiosität, die den imagistischen Modus, basierend auf dem episodischen Gedächtnis, dem doktrinalen Modus, basierend auf dem semantischen Gedächtnis, gegenüber stellt. Anhand von drei Beispielen aus der religiösen Praxis und der Geschichte einer südafrikanischen Kirche – dem sakralen Tanz, dem öffentlichen Zeugnis von persönlichen Heilungserlebnissen sowie der Spaltung der Kirche – zeige ich die Begrenztheit von Whitehouses kognitivem Erklärungsmodell. Dennoch ist Whitehouses Theorie für die säkulare Religionswissenschaft von Nutzen, da er ihren von postkolonialer Kritik in Frage gestellten vergleichenden Ansatz naturalistisch untermauert. Wünschenswert ist dabei die verstärkte Aufmerksamkeit für die vielfältigen Wechselwirkungen zwischen kognitiven, sozialen und kulturellen Faktoren, auch unter Preisgabe der einfachen Klarheit von Whitehouses bipolarem Erklärungsmodell.

Abstract

In this paper I discuss Whitehouse’s modes of religiosity theory which opposes the imagistic mode, based on episodic memory, with the doctrinal mode, based on semantic memory. Using three examples taken from the religious practice and history of a South African church – sacred dance, testimonies of healing experiences, and the split of the church – I show the limitations of Whitehouse’s cognitive model. Nevertheless, Whitehouse’s theory is useful for the secular study of religions, as it provides naturalistic support for its comparative approach called into question by postcolonial critique. What needs to be addressed further are the manifold interactions between cognitive, social and cultural factors, even if that entails the abandonment of the simple clarity of Whitehouse’s bipolar model.

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Anmerkungen: Interviews

Mduduzi, Tänzer in der schottischen Gruppe, 27.07.2008

Nkosinathi, Tänzer in der schottischen Gruppe, 25.01.2009

Nonhlanhla, Leiterin einer Jungfrauengruppe, 23.07.2008

Sibongile, Tänzerin in der Gruppe der Jungfrauen, 27.03.2009

Ich habe die Namen aller Interviewpartner geändert.


Online erschienen: 2014-3-11
Erschienen im Druck: 2014-3-31

© 2014 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Heruntergeladen am 27.12.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/zfr-2014-0004/pdf
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