Art performances and religious rituals: How transformative experiences can foster knowledge

Art and religion function as symbolic systems that transform subjective knowledge into concrete, memorable, and shareable forms through symbols and material artifacts. Drawing on past sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers, and current cognitive research, the authors argue that both phenomena serve as repositories of meaning, encapsulating emotions, experiences, and beliefs. The self-transcendent nature of art and religious experiences enhances symbol significance, conveying rich meanings beyond descriptive language. Aligned with aesthetic cognitivism, art offers unique cognitive contributions beyond decoration. The strength of art and religion lies in their existence within imagination, underscoring the centrality of meaning-making in shaping societies by preserving and disseminating subjective knowledge beyond language's confines.

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Abstract

In this chapter, we explore parallels between art and religion through culture and symbolic systems, drawing from past sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers, and current cognitive research. We argue that the creation of the arts and religion – as particularly important human cultural phenomena – allowed for subjective knowledge to become represented in symbols and artefacts, the latter serving as material anchors. This rendered the subjective knowledge concrete, memorable and importantly, shareable. Thus, art and religion are considered symbolic systems which express subjective understanding. These systems serve as repositories of meaning, encapsulating emotions, experiences, and beliefs in efficiently memorable forms. The self-transcendent nature of art and religious experiences enhances symbol significance, effectively conveying rich meanings that surpass descriptive language. Our ideas align with aesthetic cognitivism’s assertion that art offers unique cognitive contributions beyond decoration. The strength of art and possibly religion lies in their existence within imagination. The profound impact of symbolic systems on human experience and interaction - preserving and disseminating subjective knowledge beyond language's confines - underscores the centrality of meaning-making in shaping societies.