Introduction 1
In: Aztec Religion and Art of WritingSearch for other papers by Isabel Laack in
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Abstract
The main intention of this study, inspired by a postcolonial perspective, is to challenge popular images of the “Aztecs,” or Nahuas, in an attempt to understand how they perceived reality and conceptualized their writing system. The introduction clarifies basic issues of terminology and orthography regarding Nahuatl terms and discusses the subject’s sociopolitical relevance as well as the author’s personal motivation for writing this book. Based on the primary research perspective and the epistemological position for this study in the secular study of religion, the introduction indicates the problems that arise when applying the modern Western concept of religion to Nahua culture. Based on the Aesthetics of Religion approach, the study also argues against idealist and antisomatist biases and focuses on sensory, material, and practical aspects of religious being-in-the world.