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Cognitive Semiotics and On-Line Reading of Religious Texts

Evola, Vito (2005) Cognitive Semiotics and On-Line Reading of Religious Texts. [Journal (On-line/Unpaginated)]

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Abstract

In this essay a hermeneutic model of the higher level understanding during on-line ritual reading by devotees of their respective sacred literatures is proposed, using the instruments provided by cognitive sciences. The way a devotee reads a sacred text differs from the way he or she would read a common piece of literature or how a lay person might read the same sacred text. After providing an overview of metaphor, anthropomorphism, and the “religious brain”, it is suggested how devotee-readers might make sense of a religious text and why it should be so important for their own personal everyday life. Universals are implicated in this genre of literature and the way it is interpreted.

Item Type:Journal (On-line/Unpaginated)
Additional Information:ISSN 1470-5648
Keywords:literary universals, religious literature, cognitive linguistics, metaphor, semiotics, limbic system, attention, memory, higher level thinking, consciousness, empathy, rituals, anthropomorphism, reading, authority, brain imaging
Subjects:Linguistics > Semantics
ID Code:4863
Deposited By:Evola, Vito
Deposited On:29 Apr 2006
Last Modified:12 Sep 2007 18:03

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