Search SBL
 







Meeting Program Units

2013 Annual Meeting

Baltimore, MD

Meeting Begins11/23/2013
Meeting Ends11/26/2013

Call for Papers Opens: 12/15/2012
Call for Papers Closes: 2/28/2013

Requirements for Participation

Cognitive Science Approaches to the Biblical World


Program Unit Type: Section
Accepting Papers? Yes

Call For Papers: The program unit accepts paper proposals for two sessions at the 2013 annual meeting. (1) The theme of the first session is "Magical thinking in the biblical world". The papers in this session will examine how the human mind deals with magic and apply insights from cognitive theories of magic to biblical and apocryphal texts as well as archeological evidence. Cognitive approaches apply the often contested category of “magic” as a non-pejorative, analytical category. We are interested in both subconscious, low-level mechanisms that underlie the mental construction of magical scenarios as well as the cognitive patterns that are used to reason about magic. Particular themes that we expect to discuss in this session include intuitions about agentive causation, ritual efficacy, contagion, intuitive explanations of how and why magic works, the connection between magic and miracle, as well as various emotional factors, such as disgust. (2) For the second session we accept proposals that address the research foci stated in the description of the program unit.

Program Unit Chairs

Istvan Czachesz
Risto Uro

Propose a Paper for this Program Unit

If you are a SBL member, you must login before you can propose a paper for this or any other session. Please login by entering your SBL member number on the left in the Login box.

For all other persons wanting to propose a paper, you must communicate directly with the chair of the program unit to which you want to propose. Chairs have the responsibility to make waiver requests, and their email addresses are available above. SBL provides membership and meeting registration waivers only for scholars who are outside the disciplines covered by the SBL program, specifically most aspects of archaeological, biblical, religious, and theological studies.

Questions About Membership?

  • Call 866-727-9955 Toll Free in the US
  • Call 404-727-9498 Outside the US
  • Fax us at 404-727-2419
  • Email us at sblservices@sbl-site.org
 


JOIN   |  DONATE   |  CONTACT   |  SBL TWITTER   |  BIBLE ODYSSEY TWITTER   |  PRIVACY POLICY

© 2024, Society of Biblical Literature. All Rights Reserved.