О трояком методе приращения знаний о религии

Patria. 2024. Т. 1. № 2. С. 8–24.

Zolotukhin V. V.

This paper is devoted to methodological way of research in religious studies, which
could unite three different methods: first, cognitive science of religion (CSR), second, Marxist
historical materialism, third, method of conceptual history. The CSR deals with data of social
and evolutionary psychology describing social processes primarily by means of natural sciences.
The Marxist approach, in its turn, points out specific human traits of social interaction. In this
context, the Marxism could analyze religion-state and church-state relations as a product of
complicated process of production, exchange, distribution and consumption of material goods
resp. as a product of class inequality and struggle. The conceptual history (in R. Koselleck’s
understanding) covers a particular but nevertheless important field of building the intellectual
(philosophical, political, theological) worldview which reversely influences the whole religious
community changing its cultural identity. Each method does not contradict others, however,
each of them explains different aspects of religious life. The CSR explains the stability of the
religious tradition, Marxism – its social roots and drive belts, while the history of concepts deals
with the worldview evolution of an intellectual upper class, which produces theologies. The paper
is provided with an example of applying the proposed synthesis to philosophy of religion of the
German Idealism.

Keywords: философия религии, philosophy of religion, history of concepts, история понятий, когнитивное религиоведение, Historical materialism, cognitive science of religion, исторический материализм, methodology of religious studies, методология религиоведения