It is, after all, about 290+ pages longer, even if you don’t read any of the cited material. There is quite a bit more explanation than what I have supplied!

I don’t know that this is an accurate characterization of ordinary religious beliefs. While I can’t speak with authority outside of the larger Christian tradition, within the tradition, hermeneutics is concerned with establishing things like authorship, and context in time and socio-political setting.

“Finally, the fact that God’s word is accepted as true on faith – come what may – entails that it can never be false or deceptive or merely figurative.”

This seems to be another blunder, as hermeneutics has plenty of room for figurative language depending on genre. No reasonable exegete goes to biblical love poetry and literally reads the lover as a deer, or her breasts as fruit.

While the average “joe” may not be that skilled in hermeneutics, your average Senior pastor has 3 years Post-Grad training in the discipline. As church is a communal teaching / learning environment, I don’t think one can accurately portray the average joe, as a totally parochial fellow.

It seems like Atran is either outside of his element, commenting on ‘ordinary beliefs’ which he doesn’t understand, or is deliberately trying to vaguely characterize the beliefs and believers so they’ll jive with his theory. Most charitably, it’s so vague that is is stripped of any relevance or power, alternatively it’s deliberate misrepresentation to further a weak theory.

~I.