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Zusatztext Experimenting with Religion is an enjoyable, fascinating book that informs and teaches through real-world examples and stories. It should serve as an excellent text and conversation- starter for scholars of religion - students, teachers and researchers - from any of our disciplines. Informationen zum Autor Jonathan Jong is an Assistant Professor at Coventry University, prior to which he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Oxford. He is also a Research Associate at the Ian Ramey Centre for Science and Religion and St Benet's Hall, Oxford, and a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion. Klappentext This book showcases several experiments as examples of how psychologists can study religion and spirituality, casting a light on both the ingenuity and limitations of each. Ultimately, this book demonstrates that such scientific experiments are works of imagination that can help us discover truths about the human mind's proclivity for religious ideas, as long as we can adapt and learn along the way. Zusammenfassung Across history, our understanding of God, the soul, spirituality, and even science itself has shifted dramatically. Today, we have more scientific knowledge than ever, yet some age-old questions persist: Why do we believe in gods, souls, and rituals? Are these beliefs innate? Do existential fears drive us toward or away from religion? What can we learn about spirituality from children? How can we leverage scientific thinking to study spirituality?This book invites you into the labs and minds of some of the world's most renowned psychological scientists for an in-depth look at how psychologists can study religion and spirituality-and how they wrestle with doubts about ostensibly established findings and methods, even as the field advances. From China, India, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Tuva, this book takes a balanced perspective on a diverse range of experiments and studies, casting a light on both their brilliance and their limitations. Ultimately, this book reveals that psychological experiments that test spiritual beliefs are works of imagination that can help us discover truths about the human mind's proclivity for religious ideas, as long as we can adapt and learn along the way. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface and acknowledgements 1. (How) can psychologists study religion? 2. Does thinking cause atheism? 3. Are children creationists? 4. Is God like Superman? 5. Do children believe in souls? 6. What does God know? 7. What makes an effective ritual? 8. Does death anxiety drive religion? Epilogue Notes ...
