Positioning the Scholar : Epistemological and Methodological Issues in the Evolutionary Study of Religion

This book presents a systematic study of the issue of positioning in the scientific study of religion. The book discusses the wider context of positioning in the study of religion, highlights the epistemological and methodological presumptions as well as the implicit goals in play in the cognitive and evolutionary approaches. Particular focus is on the contemporary evolutionary, cognitive and behavioral study of religion and the issues of positioning in the context of these research approaches. Based on this it presents an in-depth analysis of the prevalent conceptualizations of the position of the scholar in the study of religion: methodological naturalism, methodological agnosticism, neutrality and the dialogical position. Furthermore, for the first time the relevance of both evolutionary epistemology and the underdetermination of scientific research is shown for the purposes of a full evaluation of the justifiability of particular epistemological arguments. Finally, directions forward in discussing and conceptualizing the position of the scholar in the study of religion are suggested. The book is expected to be of relevance and interest for scholars of religion interested in method and theory in the study of religion, evolutionary and cognitive study of religion and other related fields.