Drawing on his background in theology and comparative religion, Pyysi inen (Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies) outlines the theoretical foundations of a cognitive science of religion, and employs the perspective to deconstruct a number of basic concepts in the study of religion, among them miracle, magic, and culture. He continues work he beg

Can scientists study religion? Ilkka Pyysi inen says that they can. While the study of religion cannot be reduced to other disciplines, it must not ignore what other disciplines have learned about human thought and behavior. In this collection of essays, Pyysi inen shows how findings from cognitive science can offer new directions to debates in religion. After providing a historical and theoretical overview of the cognitive science of religion, Pyysi inen demonstrates how knowledge of the mind's workings can help deconstruct such concepts as "god," "ideology," "culture," "magic," "miracles,"...