ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the cognitive science of religion through important papers, all but one of which have been published since 1990. It argues that the meta-theoretical and theoretical frameworks of the cognitive science of religion. The book introduces the reader to findings from experimental studies that support core hypotheses in the cognitive science of religion. The cognitive science of religion, while welcoming interpretive work, seeks to make explanatory contributions to our understanding of religion and in the process redress the imbalance. The selections in the book show that the cognitive science of religion is a fresh and exciting approach to the scientific study of religion.
