Here’s an interesting fact: no other animals can keep a beat as well as humans can. From drumming to dancing to marching in time, humans have a unique knack for synchrony – repetitive, rhythmically entrained, social behavior. Researchers have found…
Dear Friends, June 30th, 2018 is the final day of the Modeling Religion Project. I’m writing to thank you for joining me on this amazing journey. At the Center for Mind and Culture (CMAC), and its Institute for the Bio-Cultural…
Research Associate LeRon Shults and Executive Director Wesley Wildman Chapter in Religion, History and Place in the Origin of Settled Life, ed. Ian Hodder July 2018 Book Summary: This volume explores the role of religion and ritual in the origin of settled life…
Ilaria L. E. Ramelli, Full Professor of Theology and Senior Research Fellow at Durham University, answers the question: ‘What values or norms define excellent philosophy of religion?’ at PhilosophyofReligion.Org Read it Here
We are faced with decisions and forced to make calculations on a daily basis. Which bus should I take to be on time to work? Which restaurant has the fastest service? What is the quickest route to school? When we…
Research Associate LeRon Shults Seventh International Conference of the Institute for American Religious and Philosophical Thought: Evolution and Transcendence June 20, 2018 Conference Summary: The theme of the 2018 IARPT conference is human transcendence considered in light of biocultural evolution. Central…
If we want to develop a practical solution for something as challenging and urgent as the issue of child sex trafficking, we have to first understand the situation on a conceptual level. That is – who participates in this industry…
Who are the most important living scholars studying religion today? The responses will vary widely, depending on how we measure influence or impact on the field. One useful metric is the amount of publications. The new question then becomes “who…
CMAC’s Executive Director Dr. Wesley J. Wildman wrote the following article for The Conversation, summarizing some of the findings of the Modeling Religion Project. It is reprinted below with permission. This article has also been featured in the San Francisco…
John Schellenberg, Professor of Philosophy at Mount Saint Vincent University (Canada), answers the question: ‘What values or norms define excellent philosophy of religion?’ at PhilosophyofReligion.Org Read it Here
Are religious people less analytical thinkers? A growing body of research suggests that the answer is “yes.” For one thing, religious believers perform more poorly on tests of analytical (“System 2”) intelligence, instead showing a preference for intuitive thinking styles…
Founding Director Patrick McNamara and Co-Author Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences Special Issue: The Evolution of Language June 2018 Abstract: The mesocortical dopaminergic system innervates two major forebrain networks important in language processing: the frontal–parietal network (FPN) and the ‘social brain’…
Post-Doctoral Fellow Joel Daniels Chapter in Reasonable Radical? Reading the Writings of Martyn Percy 2018 Book Summary: One of the most interesting voices in the Academy and the Church today is Martyn Percy. Percy, the Dean of Christ Church Oxford and a…
James McLachlan, Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Western Carolina University, answers the question: ‘What values or norms define excellent philosophy of religion?’ at PhilosophyofReligion.Org Read it Here
Khatera Alizada Energy Research & Social Science Volume 44 October 2018 Abstract: This article examines the global diffusion of two dominant renewable energy policies: feed-in tariffs (FIT) and renewable portfolio standards (RPS). It focuses on four mechanisms of policy diffusion: emulation,…
Scott Smith, Professor of Ethics and Christian Apologetics at Biola University, answers the question: ‘What values or norms define excellent philosophy of religion?’ at PhilosophyofReligion.Org Read it Here
Researchers in CMAC’s Tools against Child Sex Trafficking Project (TACT) are building computational policy models to virtually evaluate and experiment with anti-human trafficking policy options. This project also aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of computational modeling and simulation in analyzing…
SPIRIT TECH: THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY-ASSISTED SPIRITUALITY In 2017, best-selling author Jonathan Robinson explained his, well, let’s say innovative, approach to spirituality: “I like playing mad scientist. You know, you try one thing and see what effect it…
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…
David Basinger, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics at Northeastern Seminary, answers the question: ‘What values or norms define excellent philosophy of religion?’ at PhilosophyofReligion.Org Read it Here