Corporeal Theology: Accommodating Theological Understanding to Embodied Thinkers

This study explores how theological understanding is accommodated to the bodily nature of human cognition. It proposes that embodied cognition provides a theological framework for considering the human cognitive capacities that are accommodated by theological concepts and ecclesial practices. The incarnation resolves the theological quandary of God-concepts by grounding them in bodily understanding, while embodied religious practices scaffold cognitive processes and have intrinsic embodied meanings.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 05 January 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This study delves into the intricate relationship between theological understanding and the bodily nature of human cognition, drawing upon insights from empirical findings and theoretical constructs of embodied cognition. The principle of divine accommodation serves as a theological framework for exploring the human cognitive capacities that are shaped and influenced by theological concepts and ecclesial practices. Embodied cognition, an emerging paradigm in cognitive science, presents a rich portrait of the nature of human cognitive capacities by proposing that cognition is deeply intertwined with bodily sensorimotor systems. It suggests that cognition relies on these systems to ground concepts and draw upon environmental resources.

Embodied cognition's hypothesis that human concepts are grounded in sensorimotor states poses a theological quandary for God-concepts. It raises the question of whether identifying God with sensorimotor content risks idolatry. However, the incarnation resolves this problem in theological epistemology by grounding God-concepts in bodily understanding, while avoiding idolatry. Through the incarnation, God becomes accessible to human beings in a way that is meaningful and relevant to their embodied experiences.

Embodied cognition further hypothesizes that cognition relies on sensorimotor engagement with the world rather than internal mental representations. It suggests that bodily states and environmental artefacts play a crucial role in scaffolding cognitive processes. A scaffolded view of cognition highlights the cognitive significance of embodied religious practices, which choreograph the body and curate material culture. Practices are theorised to have intrinsic embodied meanings that resonate with the human experience.

Tobias Tanton, a scholar in the field of embodied and material dimensions of Christian practices, applies dozens of studies identifying mechanisms by which bodily or environmental factors influence cognition to the embodied and material dimensions of Christian practices. He explores how these practices shape and influence human cognitive capacities, emphasizing their inherent cognitive effects. Tanton argues that practices have intrinsic embodied meanings that go beyond their surface-level expressions and can be deeply meaningful and transformative for individuals and communities.

In conclusion, this study highlights the interplay between theological understanding and the bodily nature of human cognition. It explores how the principle of divine accommodation provides a theological framework for considering the human cognitive capacities shaped by theological concepts and practices. Embodied cognition offers a rich perspective on the nature of human cognitive capacities, emphasizing the role of bodily sensorimotor systems and environmental resources in shaping cognition. The incarnation provides a theological solution to the problem of identifying God with sensorimotor content, grounding God-concepts in bodily understanding while avoiding idolatry. Embodied cognition further suggests that cognition relies on sensorimotor engagement with the world and that bodily states and environmental artefacts scaffold cognitive processes. The embodied and material dimensions of Christian practices provide a rich context for exploring the cognitive significance of these practices and their intrinsic embodied meanings.

Weight: 608g
Dimension: 164 x 241 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192884589