Risto Uro - Ritual and Christian Beginnings

This book would not have been possible without the community of brains from which it has emerged. I take this expression quite literally. My thinking has evolved as part of a network of scholars who have worked together intensively on developing ritual and cognitive approaches to the study of early Christianity and religion in general. I have been dependent on this cognitive web to such a degree that it is impossible to think of the completion of any individual part without this collaboration, although I am, of course, alone fully responsible for the final result.

This book is part of a larger collective research project entitled Ritual and the Emergence of Early Christian Religion: A Socio-Cognitive Analysis (REECR), funded by the Academy of Finland (project #1266452) and based at the University of Helsinki. I have had the privilege of working with three brilliant younger colleagues, Anne Katrine Gudme, Vojtch Kae, and Rikard Roitto, with whom I have been able to discuss most parts of this book in the inspiring project meetings held in many cities and countries. The external advisors of the REECR project, Joseph Bulbulia, Istvn Czachesz, Douglas Davies, and Armin Geertz, have supported the work of the collective project, as well as my own book project, in many significant ways. With Istvn I have been collaborating for many years in developing cognitive approaches to Biblical Studies. His profound knowledge of cognitive research and his sharp thinking have been invaluable assets to my work. Of vital importance to me have also been the support and encouragement that I have received from two central pioneers of new methods in my home discipline, Gerd Theissen and Philip Esler.

The initial idea of writing a book on ritual and Christian beginnings was born at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, where I was working 20042005 together with Petri Luomanen, Ilkka Pyysiinen, Petri Ylikoski, and others. It was Ilkka who introduced me to the Cognitive Science of Religion, and his guidance and enthusiasm have been crucial for my learning about this new field. After several years of intensive engagement in teaching and administration, I was able to concentrate on completing my book project as a visiting fellow at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, for the academic year 20142015. The fellowship was funded by the Osk. Huttunen Foundation. I am grateful for this opportunity, and for all the assistance provided by the staff of Clare Hall to me and my wife during our stay in Cambridge. I also wish to thank my colleagues in Cambridge, Judith Lieu for supporting my application and Simon Gathercole for being my mentor.

I am deeply indebted to the many collaborators and colleagues who have given me important feedback on my work in progress at numerous conferences, workshops, and seminars, and in personal communications, over the years. These includebut are not limited toVeikko Anttonen, Johan Bastubacka, Tamas Bir, Juliette Day, Richard DeMaris, Jutta Jokiranta, Thomas Kazen, Thomas Lawson, Liv Ingeborg Lied, Luther Martin, Dietmar Neufeld, Ronit Nikolsky, Outi Pohjanheimo, Colleen Shantz, Edward Slingerland, Fred Tappenden, Terhi Utriainen, Cecilia Wassen, Hanne von Weissenberg, and Harvey Whitehouse. The students in Ritual Studies courses in Helsinki, Makumira (Tanzania) and Reykjavik have also greatly helped me to develop my ideas and thinking.

I warmly thank Ellen Valle for editing the language of the book, the staff at the Oxford University Press, Tom Perridge, Liza Robottom, Karen Raith, Anzil Steephan, Kim Allen, and Carolyn McAndrew, for their support and professional assistance, and my son Ilkka for helping me in preparing the indices.

Finally, I wish to thank my wife Marjatta, who has been there for me and has understood the importance of this project to me. In real life she has always had a better sense of ritual than I do.

June 2015

Clare Hall, Cambridge, UK