A Network Analysis of Hermeneutic Documents Based on Bible Citations

In order to handle systematic thought, we propose a new method of representing the main elements of a conceptualization in the form of a network based on the relations between the citations for frequently-used propositions within a text corpus. This method makes it possible to automatically extract the central components of a systematic thought and to analyze the relationships between these by using the clustering method. In the present study, we have constructed three networks of Christian dogma based on the writings of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and Pope John Paul II, and have analyzed the clusters to objectively extract common elements and individual characteristics. Our network representation and analysis method help to lay the foundations for scientific research in abstract fields of human thought, such as theology.

The link address is: http://www.psych.unito.it/csc/cogsci05/frame/poster/3/f458-murai.pdf