by John F.A. Sawyer, J.M.Y. Simpson (2001)
"The Concise Encyclopedia of Language and Religion provides the specialist and the general reader with accurate, up-to-date information on every aspect of the crucial interface between language and religion. Easy access to material in over 300 articles by scholars in many fields is provided both in a clear thematic arrangement, and by means of a comprehensive and detailed general index." "The Concise Encyclopedia of Language and Religion brings together articles and biographical entries drawn from the award-winning Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, all of which have been revised and updated appropriately. These are supplemented by over 110 completely new articles specially written for the present work, and a Glossary of basic concepts and terms in linguistics, making this volume coherent, comprehensive, and accessible to a wide audience."--Jacket.
Earl R. MacCormac
Most of the effort in this work is fully devoted to establishing the thesis that science and religion use language in a similar manner; both employ metaphors to suggest new hypotheses, both seem to confirm their hypotheses in human experience, and both often create myths by forgetting the hypothetical character of their metaphors.
Dianne Kirby
"This collection provides the first systematic examination of the role of religion in the Cold War. As the 'War on Terror', with its profound religious implications, is increasingly perceived as the 'new Cold War', it is more imperative still to understand the political influence of religion and its role in the international arena.". "This specially commissioned new research and scholarship adds a whole new dimension to the cumulative process of Cold War scholarship, showing why religion is a key Cold War variable. It provides new perspectives and crucial insights into the ubiquitous, multi-dimensional conflict that dominated the latter half of the twentieth century."--BOOK JACKET.
Dennis J. Billy, James Keating
"Conscience and Prayer takes the new conversation between Christian spirituality and moral theology to a deeper level of precision and focus. The authors argue that the relationship between moral theology and spirituality can best be explored by looking at how conscience is related to prayer. In exploring this relationship, both historically and theologically, Billy and Keating open new ways to approach the fundamental aspects of Catholic moral theology."--Jacket.
John C. Wathey
An essential feature of religious experience across many cultures is the intuitive feeling of God's presence. More than any rituals or doctrines, it is this experience that anchors religious faith, yet it has been largely ignored in the scientific literature on religion. Biologist John Wathey takes the reader on a scientific journey to find the sources of religious feeling and the illusion of God's presence. His book delves into the biological origins of this compelling feeling, attributing it to innate neural circuitry that evolved to promote the mother-child bond. Dr. Wathey, a veteran neuroscientist, argues that evolution has programmed the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs. As the infant grows into adulthood, this innate feeling is eventually transferred to the realm of religion, where it is reactivated through the symbols, imagery, and rituals of worship. The author interprets our various conceptions of God in biological terms as illusory supernormal stimuli that fill an emotional and cognitive vacuum left over from infancy.