281 19 13MB
English Pages 232 [227] Year 2006
A Cognitive Theory of Magic
COGNlTIVE SCIENCE OF REUGION SERIES Series Editors: HARVEY WHITEHOUSE and LUTHER H. MARTIN
The Cognitive Science of Religion Series publishes research into the cognitive foundations of religious thinking and behavior and their consequences for social morphology. The emphasis of the series is on scientific approaches to the study of religion within the framework of the cognitive sciences, including experimental, clinical, or laboratory studies, but works drawing upon ethnographic, linguistic, archaeological, or historical research are welcome. as are critical appraisals of research in these areas. In addition to providing a forum for presenting new empirical evidence and major theoretical innovations, the series publishes concise overviews of issues in the field suitable for students and general readers. This series is published in cooperation with the Institute for Cognition and Culture at Queen's University Belfast. IDLES IN THE SERIES Modes of Religiosity: A Cognitive Theory oj Religious Transmission By Harvey Whitehouse
How the Bible Works : An Anthropological Study of Evangelical BibIicisl1l By Brian E. Malley
Magic, Miracles, and Religion: A Sciemist's Perspective By t1kka Pyysiainen
Mind alld Religion: Psychological and Cognitive FO lilldations ofReligion Edited by Harvey Whitehouse and. Robert N. McCauley
Why Would Anyone Believe i1l God? By Justin L. Barrett Ritual alld Memory: Toward a Co mparative Anthropology oj Religion Edited by Harvey Whitehouse and James Laidlaw Theorizing Religions Pa~· t: Archaeology. Histol)'. and Cognitioll Edited by Harvey Whitehouse and Luther H. Martin
GOli from (he Machil/ e By William Sims Bainbridge
FORTHCOMING IDLES The Evolutioll of Religioll By Harvey Whitehouse
A Cognitive Theory of Magic
Jesper S0renSen
G~) ALTNv\lRA r
RES 5
A division of ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC. Lanham· New York· Toronto· Plymouth, UK
ALTAMlRA PRESS A division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706 www.altamirapress.com Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom Copyright © 2007 by AltaMira Press All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any fonn or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior pennission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Infonnation Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data S0rensen, Jesper, 1968A cognitive theory of magic / Jesper Sorensen. p. cm. - (Cognitive science of religion series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7591-1037-3 (cloth: alk. paper) ISBN-1O: 0-7591-1037-9 (cloth: alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-7591-1040-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-IO: 0-7591-1040-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) I. Magic. 2. Magic--Religious aspects. 3. Cognition and culture. 4. Psychology, Religious. I. Title.
BF162l.S6732006 I 33.4'301-dc22 2006028454
Printed in the United States of America
en