Justin L. Barrett is an honorary Professor of Theology and the Sciences at St Andrews University School of Divinity. An experimental psychologist by training, he is concerned with the scientific study of religion and its philosophical as well as theological implications. He is the author of a number of books including Why Would Anyone Believe in God?, Born Believers: The Science of Childhood Religion, and Religious Cognition in China: Homo Religiosus and the Dragon.

A fascinating volume... For advanced students and scholars seeking to develop research in this emerging field, the book provides a good foundation.

• Table of Contents Part One: Historical, Theoretical, and Methodological Foundations of CSR 1. Ghostly Relationships: Differentiating Cognitive Science of Religion and Psychology of ReligionJustin L. Barrett 2. The Historical Genesis of Cognitive Science of ReligionE. Thomas Lawson 3. Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive Science of ReligionAku Visala 4. The Cognitive Study of Religious Activity: Beyond Religion and BeliefPascal Boyer Part Two: Religious Concepts 5. Gods: Cognition, Culture, and EcologyBenjamin Grant Purzycki 6. The Nature of HumansRebekah A. Richert and Kirsten Lesage 7. Nature of the WorldJulie Scott and Justin L. Barrett Part Three: Religious Actions 8. Explaining and Solving Practical Problems SupernaturallyRachel Watson-Jones & Cristine H. Legare 9. Mortuary PracticesClaire White Part Four: Religious Objects 10. Scripturalism: A theoryBrian Malley 11. Special ObjectsTyler S. Greenway Part Five: Religious Experiences 12. Conceiving Religious Dreams and Mystical Experiences: A Predictive Processing InvestigationRobert E. Sears 13. Extreme RitualsDimitris Xygalatas Part Six: Forming Religious Systems 14. Key Ingredients for a World Religion: Insights from Cognitive and Evolutionary Science James Van Slyke and D. Jason Slone 15. What is the Role of Ritual in Binding Communities Together?Harvey Whitehouse and Christopher M. Kavanagh 16. The Failure of Religious SystemsHugh Turpin and Jonathan A. Lanman Part Seven: CSR's Relations and Implications 17. Neuroscience of Religion Uffe Schjoedt and Michiel van Elk 18. Soul Mates? Conflicts and Complementarities in the Evolutionary and Cognitive Sciences of ReligionRichard Sosis, John Shaver, Benjamin Grant Purzycki, and Jordan Kiper 19. CSR and Religious Belief. Epistemic friends or foes?Hans Van Eyghen 20. The Cultural & Developmental Niche of Religious Cognitions: Educational Implications of the Cognitive Science of ReligionRebekah A. Richert 21. Lived Faith and Cognitive Intuitions: Some Theological Implications of Cognitive Science of ReligionLaird R. O. Edman and Myron A. Penner

Justin L. Barrett is an honorary Professor of Theology and the Sciences at St Andrews University School of Divinity. An experimental psychologist by training, he is concerned with the scientific study of religion and its philosophical as well as theological implications. He is the author of a number of books including Why Would Anyone Believe in God?, Born Believers: The Science of Childhood Religion, and Religious Cognition in China: Homo Religiosus and the Dragon.

A fascinating volume... For advanced students and scholars seeking to develop research in this emerging field, the book provides a good foundation.

• Table of Contents Part One: Historical, Theoretical, and Methodological Foundations of CSR 1. Ghostly Relationships: Differentiating Cognitive Science of Religion and Psychology of ReligionJustin L. Barrett 2. The Historical Genesis of Cognitive Science of ReligionE. Thomas Lawson 3. Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive Science of ReligionAku Visala 4. The Cognitive Study of Religious Activity: Beyond Religion and BeliefPascal Boyer Part Two: Religious Concepts 5. Gods: Cognition, Culture, and EcologyBenjamin Grant Purzycki 6. The Nature of HumansRebekah A. Richert and Kirsten Lesage 7. Nature of the WorldJulie Scott and Justin L. Barrett Part Three: Religious Actions 8. Explaining and Solving Practical Problems SupernaturallyRachel Watson-Jones & Cristine H. Legare 9. Mortuary PracticesClaire White Part Four: Religious Objects 10. Scripturalism: A theoryBrian Malley 11. Special ObjectsTyler S. Greenway Part Five: Religious Experiences 12. Conceiving Religious Dreams and Mystical Experiences: A Predictive Processing InvestigationRobert E. Sears 13. Extreme RitualsDimitris Xygalatas Part Six: Forming Religious Systems 14. Key Ingredients for a World Religion: Insights from Cognitive and Evolutionary Science James Van Slyke and D. Jason Slone 15. What is the Role of Ritual in Binding Communities Together?Harvey Whitehouse and Christopher M. Kavanagh 16. The Failure of Religious SystemsHugh Turpin and Jonathan A. Lanman Part Seven: CSR's Relations and Implications 17. Neuroscience of Religion Uffe Schjoedt and Michiel van Elk 18. Soul Mates? Conflicts and Complementarities in the Evolutionary and Cognitive Sciences of ReligionRichard Sosis, John Shaver, Benjamin Grant Purzycki, and Jordan Kiper 19. CSR and Religious Belief. Epistemic friends or foes?Hans Van Eyghen 20. The Cultural & Developmental Niche of Religious Cognitions: Educational Implications of the Cognitive Science of ReligionRebekah A. Richert 21. Lived Faith and Cognitive Intuitions: Some Theological Implications of Cognitive Science of ReligionLaird R. O. Edman and Myron A. Penner

Justin L. Barrett is an honorary Professor of Theology and the Sciences at St Andrews University School of Divinity. An experimental psychologist by training, he is concerned with the scientific study of religion and its philosophical as well as theological implications. He is the author of a number of books including Why Would Anyone Believe in God?, Born Believers: The Science of Childhood Religion, and Religious Cognition in China: Homo Religiosus and the Dragon.

A fascinating volume... For advanced students and scholars seeking to develop research in this emerging field, the book provides a good foundation.

• Table of Contents Part One: Historical, Theoretical, and Methodological Foundations of CSR 1. Ghostly Relationships: Differentiating Cognitive Science of Religion and Psychology of ReligionJustin L. Barrett 2. The Historical Genesis of Cognitive Science of ReligionE. Thomas Lawson 3. Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive Science of ReligionAku Visala 4. The Cognitive Study of Religious Activity: Beyond Religion and BeliefPascal Boyer Part Two: Religious Concepts 5. Gods: Cognition, Culture, and EcologyBenjamin Grant Purzycki 6. The Nature of HumansRebekah A. Richert and Kirsten Lesage 7. Nature of the WorldJulie Scott and Justin L. Barrett Part Three: Religious Actions 8. Explaining and Solving Practical Problems SupernaturallyRachel Watson-Jones & Cristine H. Legare 9. Mortuary PracticesClaire White Part Four: Religious Objects 10. Scripturalism: A theoryBrian Malley 11. Special ObjectsTyler S. Greenway Part Five: Religious Experiences 12. Conceiving Religious Dreams and Mystical Experiences: A Predictive Processing InvestigationRobert E. Sears 13. Extreme RitualsDimitris Xygalatas Part Six: Forming Religious Systems 14. Key Ingredients for a World Religion: Insights from Cognitive and Evolutionary Science James Van Slyke and D. Jason Slone 15. What is the Role of Ritual in Binding Communities Together?Harvey Whitehouse and Christopher M. Kavanagh 16. The Failure of Religious SystemsHugh Turpin and Jonathan A. Lanman Part Seven: CSR's Relations and Implications 17. Neuroscience of Religion Uffe Schjoedt and Michiel van Elk 18. Soul Mates? Conflicts and Complementarities in the Evolutionary and Cognitive Sciences of ReligionRichard Sosis, John Shaver, Benjamin Grant Purzycki, and Jordan Kiper 19. CSR and Religious Belief. Epistemic friends or foes?Hans Van Eyghen 20. The Cultural & Developmental Niche of Religious Cognitions: Educational Implications of the Cognitive Science of ReligionRebekah A. Richert 21. Lived Faith and Cognitive Intuitions: Some Theological Implications of Cognitive Science of ReligionLaird R. O. Edman and Myron A. Penner