Human Nature

by Jeeves, Malcolm A.

• ISBN13: 9781932031966
• ISBN10: 1932031960
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-01
• Publisher: Templeton Foundation Pr

Summary

College and university professors have been demanding that this book, out of print for several years, be made available again, as it is unique in its field. This new edition, which includes a new preface and guidance to current literature, offers a balanced study of the implications of scientific developments in psychology and neuroscience for traditional Christian beliefs. Malcolm Jeeves, former editor-in-chief of Neuropsychologia, a leading international scientific journal in behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, explores the intersection of science and faith in defining what it means to be human. He reports on recent scientific research on consciousness and the link between mind, brain, and behavior. He examines issues such as determinism by indicating the possible relevance of chaos theory to enduring concerns about freedom and responsibility. He looks at similarities and differences between human nature and animal nature. He reexamines traditional dualist views of soul and body in the light of contemporary research on mind and brain and argues for a wholistic model. This leads to addressing questions such as: does spiritual awareness depend on the intactness of our brains or does spirituality stand apart from our biological substrate? Jeeves' insightful analysis of the ways recent findings in psychology relate to certain Christian beliefs about people expands the global science religion dialogue.

Table of Contents

Preface to the 2006 Edition	ix
Preface to Original Edition	xiii
Approaching Modern Psychology	3	(10)
Science and Faith:Learning from the Past	13	(19)
Neuropsychology:Linking Mind and Brain	32	(18)
Neuropsychology and Spiritual Experience	50	(23)
Linking the Brain and Behavior	73	(15)
Human Nature:Biblical and Psychological Portraits	88	(29)
Human Nature and Animal Nature: Are They Different?	117	(17)
Personology and Psychotherapy:Confronting the Challenges	134	(15)
Human Needs:Psychological and Theological Perspectives	149	(14)
Consciousness Now: A Contemporary Issue	163	(22)
Explaining Consciousness Now:A Contemporary Issue	185	(17)
Determinism, Freedom, and Responsibility	202	(15)
The Future of Science and Faith:Beyond Perspectivalism?	217	(14)
Notes	231	(10)
Index	241