Religious appeals in the popular presentation of cosmology

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorGuarino, Michael J.en
dc.contributor.committeechairHardcastle, Gary L.en
dc.contributor.committeememberBounds, Elizabeth M.en
dc.contributor.committeememberMoyer, Albert E.en
dc.contributor.committeememberDennison, Brian K.en
dc.contributor.committeememberWeiss, Steven C.en
dc.contributor.departmentScience and Technology Studiesen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:44:05Zen
dc.date.adate2008-08-29en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:44:05Zen
dc.date.issued1996-05-08en
dc.date.rdate2008-08-29en
dc.date.sdate2008-08-29en
dc.description.abstractThis thesis explores the use of religious language, metaphors, and images in the popular presentation of cosmology. Specifically looking at books written by cosmologists and intended for a lay audience, I argue that these religious appeals present a particular model, or picture, of cosmology to the public. Through the religious language, metaphors, and images, the texts create scientific-religious imagery which gives cosmology and cosmologists religious functions (e.g., the metaphor of cosmologists as priests). Taking these images together, the texts present a model in which cosmology performs like a religion -a model of Cosmology-as-Religion. Thus, the religious appeals appropriate religious authority through cosmology's assumption of religious functions. However, the texts also contain arguments justifying cosmology and the need for its continued financial support. The texts link these justificatory arguments to the scientific-religious imagery, and this associates the texts' appropriation of religious authority with the justificatory arguments. As a result, the appropriated functions give cosmology additional social benefits, providing a socio-religious context to the arguments. This, in turn, increases cosmology's importance to society. In this way, the religious appeals help legitimate the justification of cosmology.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentiv, 110 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-08292008-063614en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-08292008-063614/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/44505en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1996.G837.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 35101332en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectreligionen
dc.subjectcosmologyen
dc.subjectphysicsen
dc.subjectpopularizationen
dc.subjectimageryen
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1996.G837en
dc.titleReligious appeals in the popular presentation of cosmologyen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineScience and Technology Studiesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
LD5655.V855_1996.G837.pdf
Size:
4.65 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Masters Theses