Theoretical Challenges in Studying Religious Experience in Gnosticism: A Prolegomena for Social Analysis

Several theoretical impediments face the ancient historian who wishes to embark on the study of religious experience within ancient cultures. While many of these difficulties face other religious studies scholars, the historical quality compounds these challenges. This paper explores several of thes...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tite, Philip L. 1969- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Equinox 2013
In: Bulletin for the study of religion
Year: 2013, Volume: 42, Issue: 1, Pages: 8-18
Further subjects:B Religious Experience
B Attachment Theory
B Nag Hammadi
B Social Psychology
B Gnosticism
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)

MARC

LEADER 00000naa a22000002 4500
001 1837495262
003 DE-627
005 20230227111240.0
007 cr uuu---uuuuu
008 230227s2013 xx |||||o 00| ||eng c
024 7 |a 10.1558/bsor.v42i1.8  |2 doi 
035 |a (DE-627)1837495262 
035 |a (DE-599)KXP1837495262 
040 |a DE-627  |b ger  |c DE-627  |e rda 
041 |a eng 
084 |a 0  |2 ssgn 
100 1 |e VerfasserIn  |0 (DE-588)138883432  |0 (DE-627)606715061  |0 (DE-576)309456355  |4 aut  |a Tite, Philip L.  |d 1969- 
109 |a Tite, Philip L. 1969- 
245 1 0 |a Theoretical Challenges in Studying Religious Experience in Gnosticism  |b A Prolegomena for Social Analysis 
264 1 |c 2013 
336 |a Text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent 
337 |a Computermedien  |b c  |2 rdamedia 
338 |a Online-Ressource  |b cr  |2 rdacarrier 
520 |a Several theoretical impediments face the ancient historian who wishes to embark on the study of religious experience within ancient cultures. While many of these difficulties face other religious studies scholars, the historical quality compounds these challenges. This paper explores several of these theoretical difficulties with a specific focus on the Valentinian, Sethian, and other so-called "Gnostic" groups in late antiquity. Specifically, the study of religious experience tends to give privileged interpretative position to insiders (evoking the etic/emic problem) and psychological analyses due to the "personal" or "individual" quality of such experiences (typified by perennialist approaches) (Otto, Wach, Eliade, Smart), or, following James and Jung, focus on the initial charismatic moment’s effect upon subsequent social structures. In contrast to such tendencies I suggest, by building on Fitzgerald’s lead in the Guide to the Study of Religion and largely agreeing with constructivist approaches, that we re-direct our focus toward the external social forces at play that discursively facilitate, shape, and direct experiential moments within the confines of social identity construction. This article builds on attachment theory from social psychology. Such analysis will allow us to better appreciate the experiential aspects of "Gnosticism" while appreciating the individual, communal, and (most importantly) discursive quality of the intersection of the individual and communal. Specific examples of such social facilitation will be briefly explored from Nag Hammadi, where ritual, narrative, and mythological discourse function to enable, and thereby define, religious experience. 
601 |a Challenger 
650 4 |a Gnosticism 
650 4 |a Nag Hammadi 
650 4 |a Attachment Theory 
650 4 |a Religious Experience 
650 4 |a Social Psychology 
773 0 8 |i Enthalten in  |t Bulletin for the study of religion  |d London : Equinox, 2010  |g 42(2013), 1, Seite 8-18  |h Online-Ressource  |w (DE-627)622089064  |w (DE-600)2545121-2  |w (DE-576)329536249  |x 2041-1871  |7 nnns 
773 1 8 |g volume:42  |g year:2013  |g number:1  |g pages:8-18 
856 4 0 |u https://doi.org/10.1558/bsor.v42i1.8  |x Resolving-System  |z lizenzpflichtig  |3 Volltext 
856 4 0 |u https://journal.equinoxpub.com/BSOR/article/view/14828  |x Verlag  |z lizenzpflichtig  |3 Volltext 
936 u w |d 42  |j 2013  |e 1  |h 8-18 
951 |a AR 
ELC |a 1 
ITA |a 1  |t 1 
LOK |0 000 xxxxxcx a22 zn 4500 
LOK |0 001 4276818052 
LOK |0 003 DE-627 
LOK |0 004 1837495262 
LOK |0 005 20230227090710 
LOK |0 008 230227||||||||||||||||ger||||||| 
LOK |0 040   |a DE-Tue135  |c DE-627  |d DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 092   |o n 
LOK |0 852   |a DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 852 1  |9 00 
LOK |0 935   |a ixzs  |a ixzo  |a rwrk 
ORI |a SA-MARC-ixtheoa001.raw 
REL |a 1 
STA 0 0 |a Nag Hammadi,Nag Hammadi,Nag Hammadi 
SUB |a REL