At least since C.P. Snow’s provocative lecture on two academic cultures, researchers on both sides of the barricade have been trying to bridge the divide between the humanities and sciences. How would such a synthesis of the humanities and sciences look like when applied to the study of religion?
You can find the answer to this vital question in our new article. In the manuscript, Martin Lang and Radek Kundt explore the nooks and crannies of such a synthetic project applied to the study of religion. In doing that, they also provide a kind of LEVYNA manifesto, which specifies the positions we identify with in the project of the naturalistic study of religious phenomena.
You can find the article here: https://bit.ly/2pCnLVq
In a new study published in Human Nature, LEVYNA was part of a team lead by A.K. Willard, studying how witchcraft beliefs affect social norms and behaviors. Specifically, researchers investigated whether witchcraft is regarded to be motivated by envy and how this notion influences community interactions. The findings show that, while witchcraft accusations were common, they were mostly directed at persons suspected of acting out of envy.
In an ethnographic survey-based study published in the journal Religions, D. Xygalatas and P. Maňo looked at variation in motivations for ritual practice and how it relates to the socioeconomic status of respondents. The findings indicate that whereas people of lower socioeconomic standing address more immediate concerns related to material security and safety in their ritual practices, people at the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum tend to focus on the fulfillment of spiritual, social, or cultural needs.
