The theory of 'modes of religiosity' was initially worked
out in two books by Harvey Whitehouse: Inside the Cult:
Religious Innovation and Transmission in Papua New Guinea
(1995, Oxford University Press) and Arguments and
Icons: Divergent Modes of Religiosity (2000, Oxford
University Press), focusing mainly on religious traditions
in the Pacific Island region of Melanesia. The theory distinguishes
two very different modalities of religious activity. (i) a
doctrinal mode of religiosity in which the emphasis is on
explicit, standardized beliefs, repetitive sermonizing and
ritual, wide dissemination of the tradition, and the institutionalization
of religious authorities as guardians of orthodoxy; |
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(ii)
an imagistic mode of religiosity in which emotionally and
sensually laden imagery is evoked in rare and climactic rituals,
triggering intensely personalized experiences and lines of
interpretation, and establishing enduring cohesion within
small communities of participants. Some religions emphasize
one mode of religiosity over the other. But it is more common
for both modes to be present within any given tradition. Often,
however, the two modes remain distinguishable, both to participants
and observers. Many leading scholars are now considering whether
modes of religiosity are really widespread and ancient, as
Whitehouse claims. The only way to find out is to test the
predictions of the theory against detailed evidence from a
range of disciplines: particularly anthropology, history of
religion, archaeology, and psychology. |
