Narrative Cultures and the Aesthetics of Religion studies narrativity as situated modes of engaging with reality in religious contexts across the globe, equally shaped by the immersive character of the stories told and the sensory qualities of their performances.

Contents Preface Dirk Johannsen, Anja Kirsch and Jens Kreinath List of Figures Notes on Contributors Narrative Cultures and the Aesthetics of Religion: An Introduction Dirk Johannsen and Anja Kirsch Encounters: Vernacular Religious Storytelling 1 One Ritual—Many Stories: On Making Sense of a Hindu Ritual Brigitte Luchesi 2 Narrating Spirit Possession Katharina Wilkens 3 How to Sense a Ghost: On the Aesthetics of Legend Traditions Dirk Johannsen 4 Studying Religions as Narrative Cultures: Angel Experience Narratives in the Netherlands and Some Ideas for a Narrative Research Program for the Study of Religion Markus Altena Davidsen and Bastiaan von Rijn Identities: Narrating and Counter-Narrating Gods and People 5 Feeling Narrative Cultures: Analyzing Emotions in Religious Narratives with Examples from Old-Babylonian Ninurta Myths Laura Feldt 6 Aztec Pictorial Narratives: Visual Strategies to Activate Embodied Meaning and the Transformation of Identity in the Mapa de Cuauhtinchan No. 2 Isabel Laack 7 Transmedial Narrative Cultures: Upanishadic Spirituality in the Indian Tele-Serial ``Upanishad Ganga'' Annette Wilke 8 Storytelling and Mediation: The Aesthetics of a Counter-Narrative of Atheism in South India Stefan Binder Arts: Narrative Craft Beyond Words 9 Braiding Ropes, Weaving Baskets: The Narrative Culture of Ancient Monasticism Ingvild Sælid Gilhus 10 Immersing in the World of Radha and Krishna: Visual Storytelling in the Context of Religious Practice Caroline Widmer 11 Foundational Narratives in Chan/Zen Buddhism and the Observation of the Ineffable: Two ``Public Cases'' (gong'an/kōan) of the Gateless Barrier of Chan Lineage Martin Lehnert 12 Poetic Imagination in Scientific Practice: Grand Unification as Narrative Worldmaking Arianna Borrelli 13 What Happens When the Story Is Told? Reflections on the Aesthetics of Narrative Worldmaking and Aesthetic Sensation—Afterthoughts Jens Kreinath Index