Cognitive Science
August 12, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781003252214-17 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Case report |
|---|---|
| Key findings | Argues that cognitive science approaches, particularly CSR, offer valuable heuristic tools for biblical interpretation, as illustrated by a case study of the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, which reveals ritual efficacy, social bonding, and theological diversity in early Christian practice. |
Abstract
This chapter surveys approaches to biblical studies informed by Cognitive Science (CS), emphasizing the field’s interdisciplinary diversity and methodological plurality. After outlining the emergence and development of CS, including major paradigms such as embodied, distributed, and evolutionary approaches to cognition, the chapter introduces two influential research traditions: Cognitive Linguistics and the Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR). It then examines how selected cognitive theories—especially those concerning metaphor, memory, ritual, magic, religious experience, and morality—have been adapted to biblical interpretation, highlighting both their heuristic potential and their methodological challenges. Particular attention is given to memory studies and ritual theory as areas of sustained engagement. The chapter concludes with an exegetical case study of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, demonstrating how CSR illuminates ritual efficacy, social bonding, and theological diversity in early Christian practice.