Aesthetics of Religion

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This volume presents the first English-language exploration of innovative approaches in the aesthetics of religion. It features diverse material and detailed analyses of descriptive, methodological, and theoretical concepts, all aimed at investigating religion as a sensory and mediated practice. Distinct from other movements like material culture and the anthropology of the senses, this approach seeks to create a framework for understanding the interplay between sensory, cognitive, and socio-cultural aspects of world-construction. It illustrates how aesthetics, as a theory of sensory knowledge, provides a rich repertoire of concepts for understanding religious traditions. The discussions incorporate contemporary developments in scientific theories of perception, neuro-aesthetics, and cultural studies, emphasizing the socio-cultural and political contexts that shape human perception of themselves and their surroundings. Since its development in the 1990s, the aesthetic approach has engaged with debates in the study of religion, aiming to move beyond biased categories that limit religion to texts or abstract beliefs. This volume documents the progress made in this field and its significance for the study of religion and interdisciplinary scholarship.