Ernest Becker's psychology of religion forty years on: a view from social cognitive psychology
This article distinguishes between three projects in Ernest Becker's (1924-1974) later work: his psychology of "religion", his psychology of religion, and his psychology of Religion (with a capital R). The first is an analysis of culture and civilization as immortality projects, means...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2014
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| In: |
Zygon
Year: 2014, Volume: 49, Issue: 4, Pages: 875-889 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Becker, Ernest 1924-1974, The denial of death
/ Cognitive psychology
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| RelBib Classification: | AE Psychology of religion |
| Parallel Edition: | Electronic
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| Summary: | This article distinguishes between three projects in Ernest Becker's (1924-1974) later work: his psychology of "religion", his psychology of religion, and his psychology of Religion (with a capital R). The first is an analysis of culture and civilization as immortality projects, means by which to deny death. The second, which overlaps with the first, is a characterization of religion-as-practiced (e.g., by adherents of the world religions) as a particularly effective immortality project vis-à-vis death anxiety. The third is less social scientific and more theological; Becker argues for a view of God that is in the tradition of Søren Kierkegaard and Paul Tillich (and, arguably, Pseudo-Dionysius, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas). Focusing on the second of these projects - as much has already been written on the first, and little can be said about the third - this article evaluates Becker's claims about religion-as-practiced in light of recent developments in social cognitive psychology. |
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| ISSN: | 0591-2385 |
| Contains: | In: Zygon
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