| Contemporary Evolutionary Theories of Culture and the Study of Religion Contributor(s): Kundt, Radek (Author) |
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ISBN: 1474232248 ISBN-13: 9781474232241 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC OUR PRICE: $173.25 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: November 2015 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion | Psychology Of Religion - Religion | Religion & Science |
| Dewey: 201.7 |
| LCCN: 2015018894 |
| Series: Scientific Studies of Religion: Inquiry and Explanation |
| Physical Information: 0.8" H x 6.2" W x 9.3" (0.95 lbs) 192 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Radek Kundt compares the notion of evolution in cultural evolutionary theories with neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory to determine the value of the biological concept for studying culture. Contemporary Evolutionary Theories of Culture and the Study of Religion surveys the historical background of cultural evolution as used in the study of religion, pinpointing major objections to classical nineteenth-century theories. Radek Kundt argues that contemporary theories of cultural evolution do not repeat the same mistakes but that when they are evaluated in terms of fitting the core requirements of neo-Darwinian natural selection, it is clear that they are not legitimate extensions of neo-Darwinian theory. Rather, they are poor metaphors and misleading analogies which add little to conventional cause-and-effect historiographical work. This book also introduces an alternative evolutionary approach to the study of culture which does not claim that the principles of neo-Darwinian evolution should be applicable outside the biological domain. Radek Kundt shows that this alternative evolutionary approach nevertheless provides a deeply enriching line of enquiry that incorporates both biological evolutionary history as shaping cultural change and culture as a force acting on the gene. |
Contributor Bio(s): Martin, Luther H.: - Luther H. Martin is Professor of Religion Emeritus at the University of Vermont, USA.Wiebe, Donald: - Donald Wiebe is Professor of Religion, Trinity College, University of Toronto, Canada.McCorkle Jr, William W.: - William W. McCorkle is Associate Professor and Research Specialist at the Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion and Ritual, Masaryk University, Czech Republic.Kundt, Radek: - Radek Kundt is Assistant Professor in the Department for the Study of Religions, Masaryk University, Czech Republic. He is also a Research Fellow at the LEVYNA Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion, Masaryk University, Czech Republic. |