Abstract
During the last decades of the twentieth century scholars have proposed
“neurotheology” as a new subdiscipline of the neurosciences. This article
presents a review and discussion of different interpretations placed on neurotheology, and attempts to estimate the extent to which neuroscience is a
challenge and/or an opportunity for theology and (for the study of) religion.
On the neuroscientific side, neurotheology can be split into a reductionist
and a religionist neuroscience of religion. On the theological side, it can be
split into apologetic and integrative approaches. The appraisal of these different
interpretations and of the relevance of neuroscience for the study of religion
is conducted from three points of view: philosophy and theology, cognitive
science, psychology of religion and sciences of religions.
“neurotheology” as a new subdiscipline of the neurosciences. This article
presents a review and discussion of different interpretations placed on neurotheology, and attempts to estimate the extent to which neuroscience is a
challenge and/or an opportunity for theology and (for the study of) religion.
On the neuroscientific side, neurotheology can be split into a reductionist
and a religionist neuroscience of religion. On the theological side, it can be
split into apologetic and integrative approaches. The appraisal of these different
interpretations and of the relevance of neuroscience for the study of religion
is conducted from three points of view: philosophy and theology, cognitive
science, psychology of religion and sciences of religions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 305-309 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Schweizer Archiv fur Neurologie und Psychiatrie / Archives suisses de neurologie et de psychiatrie |
| Volume | 161 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2010 |
Keywords
- neurotheology
- neurosciences
- scientific study of religion
- philosophy of religion
- cognitive sciences
- psychology of religion