Challenging the idea of “spiritual but not religious”
Many people assume a sharp contrast between spirituality and religion. Spirituality involves strange experiences and feelings of ecstacy, whereas religion means boring sermons and social […]
spirituality
Review: Medicine, Religion, and Health
With Medicine, Religion, and Health (Templeton Foundation Press, 2008), Harold Koenig makes a valuable contribution to understanding the relationship between religion, spirituality, and health for […]
IN FOCUS: Religion, spirituality, and health – Part II
In December 2011, the Journal of Behavioral Medicine dedicated an entire issue to studies focusing on religion, spirituality, and health. Many of these papers attempt […]
IN FOCUS: Religion, spirituality, and health
Over recent years, researchers have gotten serious about studying the effects of religion on health. Before the turn of the millennium, there were abundant studies […]
Religion and personality
Envision the typical religious believer. What personality traits come to mind? For some people, religious people epitomize ignorance, intolerance, and stubbornness; for others, they personify […]
Book review: Science and the Spiritual Quest
Nearly a decade and a half ago, an elite group of scientists gathered in Berkeley, California, to participate in a groundbreaking project called Science and […]
IN FOCUS: Meditation research (Part Two)
There’s been a boom in interest in meditation recently – among laypersons and the scientific community alike. Neuroscientists, in particular, have begun using their training […]
Is altruism real?
Think you’re a loving friend, committed family member, and a diligent worker? Well, think again. Many biologists would argue that you’re nothing but a collection […]
Review: Principles of Neurotheology
One of the most fundamental quandaries in theology and philosophy is the pernicious difficulty of using the mind to examine itself. The trickiness of inverting […]
Review: The Empirical Stance
Renowned philosopher of science Bas C. van Fraassen (Princeton University) had long remained silent on issues of religion. So by his own admission he was […]