Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religion

by Jeeves, Malcolm; Brown, Warren, Jr.

• ISBN13: 9781599471471
• ISBN10: 1599471477
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-03-01
• Publisher: Templeton Foundation Pr

Summary

Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religionis the second title published in the new Templeton Science and Religion Series. In this volume, Malcolm Jeeves and Warren S. Brown provide an overview of the relationship between neuroscience, psychology, and religion that is academically sophisticated, yet accessible to the general reader. The authors introduce key terms; thoroughly chart the histories of both neuroscience and psychology, with a particular focus on how these disciplines have interfaced religion through the ages; and explore contemporary approaches to both fields, reviewing how current science/religion controversies are playing out today. Throughout, they cover issues like consciousness, morality, concepts of the soul, and theories of mind. Their examination of topics like brain imaging research, evolutionary psychology, and primate studies show how recent advances in these areas can blend harmoniously with religious belief, since they offer much to our understanding of humanity's place in the world. Jeeves and Brown conclude their comprehensive and inclusive survey by providing an interdisciplinary model for shaping the ongoing dialogue. Sure to be of interest to both academics and curious intellectuals, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religionaddresses important age-old questions and demonstrates how modern scientific techniques can provide a much more nuanced range of potential answers to those questions.

Author Biography

Malcolm Jeeves, a neuropsychologist, is emeritus professor at St. Andrews University in Scotland. He is a past president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy of Science and Letters, and a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and of the British Psychological Society. Warren S. Brown, also a neuropsychologist, is professor at the Graduate School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he is director of the Travis Research Institute. He is also a member of the UCLA Brain Research Institute.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Neuroscience and Psychology Today	p. 3
Warfare versus Partnership	p. 12
From Soul to Mind: A Brief History	p. 24
Principles of Brain Function	p. 41
Linking Mind and Brain	p. 54
The Human Animal: Evolutionary Psychology	p. 68
The Neuroscience of Religiousness	p. 91
Science, Religion, and Human Nature	p. 108
Getting Our Bearings: Looking Back and Looking Forward	p. 128
Notes	p. 137
Further Reading	p. 147
Name Index	p. 151
Subject Index	p. 155
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