{"title":"Neil Van Leeuwen","description":"\u003cp\u003eNeil Van Leeuwen's works invite readers to explore the intricate relationship between belief and narrative within the realm of \u003cem\u003eReligion \u0026amp; Spirituality\u003c\/em\u003e. His writing challenges conventional perspectives, presenting religion as a complex form of cultural storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a thoughtful and analytical approach, Van Leeuwen encourages deep reflection on the nature of faith and meaning, appealing to those interested in philosophy, theology, and critical studies of religion.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"religion-as-make-believe-by-neil-van-leeuwen-9780674290334","title":"Religion as Make-Believe","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTo understand the nature of religious belief, we must look at how our minds process the world of imagination and make-believe.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe often assume that religious beliefs are no different in kind from ordinary factual beliefs—that believing in the existence of God or of supernatural entities that hear our prayers is akin to believing that May comes before June. Neil Van Leeuwen shows that, in fact, these two forms of belief are strikingly different. Our brains do not process religious beliefs like they do beliefs concerning mundane reality; instead, empirical findings show that religious beliefs function like the imaginings that guide make-believe play.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eVan Leeuwen argues that religious belief—which he terms religious \"credence\"—is best understood as a form of imagination that people use to define the identity of their group and express the values they hold sacred. When a person pretends, they navigate the world by consulting two maps: the first represents mundane reality, and the second superimposes the features of the imagined world atop the first. Drawing on psychological, linguistic, and anthropological evidence, Van Leeuwen posits that religious communities operate in much the same way, consulting a factual-belief map that represents ordinary objects and events and a religious-credence map that accords these objects and events imagined sacred and supernatural significance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is hardly controversial to suggest that religion has a social function, but \u003cem\u003eReligion as Make-Believe\u003c\/em\u003e breaks new ground by theorising the underlying cognitive mechanisms. Once we recognise that our minds process factual and religious beliefs in fundamentally different ways, we can gain deeper understanding of the complex individual and group psychology of religious faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47427521151212,"sku":"9780674290334","price":90.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780674290334.jpg?v=1774767477"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/neil-van-leeuwen.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}