We explore the nexus of culture, mind, and religion. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we combine fields like neuroscience and evolutionary biology with sociology and history with computational modeling and machine learning, in order to transform religion-science interactions.
When most people think of the study of religion, they think of ancient languages, sacred texts, congregational surveys, or anthropologists setting up camp in a tribal society. What if we could use computer simulations to recreate historical events, learn about…
From the Roman Empire to the USSR, even the most sophisticated societies eventually collapse, leaving behind ruins, a displaced populace, or (at best) a whole lot of unpleasant paperwork. But some societies last a lot longer than others. Why? One…
Many American girls have been taught to consider their wedding day the “happiest day of their life.” But how do we reconcile that sense of hope with the fact that entering into an intimate relationship with a man is one…
This article was originally published at Patheos and has been reprinted with permission. Why Is Shamanism So Common?
This article was originally published at Patheos and has been reprinted with permission. Religion and self-regulation: a model (and a trip to Norway)
This article was originally published at Patheos and has been reprinted with permission. Religion builds self-control and excludes outsiders – simultaneously
This article was originally published at Patheos and has been reprinted with permission. Supernatural punishment and the evolution of cooperation
This article was originally published at Patheos and has been reprinted with permission. A computer model of atheism?
This article was originally published at Patheos and has been reprinted with permission. Want to study the science of religion? Start with this MOOC
In recent years, much ado has been made about mindfulness meditation. Researchers and psychologists have found strong, persistent connections between meditation and enhanced executive cognitive functions – that is, high-level brain processes, like attention switching, planning, and impulse control, that…
For those of us who view some features or aspects of religion (such as ritual or religious experience) as adaptive, their sui generis character presents few obstacles to the scientific study of religion. The evolutionary history of these aspects of…