In this carefully researched book, Andrea Rota familiarizes scholars of religion with the group-making dynamics of collective intentionality. After reading this work, we can no longer afford to neglect the theoretical and analytical purchase of this framework.

Michael Stausberg, Professor of Religion, University of Bergen, Norway

Since Durkheim’s focus on the collective effervescence of group rituals, the question of how churches and other religious groups differ from the sum of their individual members has been raised, but seldom answered. Andrea Rota has rendered an important service by demonstrating the necessity and possibility of applying insights derived from the philosophical analysis of collective intentionality to the study of religious groups.

Robert A. Yelle, Chair and Professor for the Theory and Method of Religious Studies, Ludwig Maximilian University, Germany

Rota’s work is a significant scholarly intervention that compels readers to reconsider the nature of religious practice through the lens of collective intentionality. [Rota] lays a dynamic foundation for ongoing exploration in the fields of philosophy and religious studies. The book ultimately serves as a crucial resource for scholars seeking to deepen their understanding of how collective practices and beliefs shape religious institutions and experiences across varying cultural contexts.

- Samar Mashadi is a PhD candidate in religious studies at McMaster University (Canada), Reading Religion