For more neuroscience resources and references regarding Christianity, please visit the website www.christianneuroscience.com.
The following offers additional insight into the varied perspectives of Association of Theological Schools educators toward neuroscience. These are not meant to be exhaustive but illustrative of the diversity of denominational approaches.
Roman Catholic – In 1979, Pope John Paul II called for a more fruitful dialogue between science and religion which resulted in a number of conferences, some of which focused on neuroscience.[1] This call has inspired much synthesis of science and religion within Catholic circles.[2] Franciscan Sister and Villanova professor, Ilia Delio draws some of her inspiration from John Paul II as she develops an understanding of Catholicity and neuroscience. She is one of the rare examples of an ATS educator who also has a background in neuroscience.[3] She critiques that historically Catholicity has been defined often by orthopraxy, whereas now we live in an age of science that opens up a new understanding of Catholicity grounded in a more holistic and universal interconnectivity.[4] Another example within the Catholic Church of reflection on neuroscience is of a theologian of the pontifical household, Ezra Sullivan, OP who focuses on an interpretation of the fruit of the Spirit (especially Isaiah 11:1-3) seen through the eyes of biopsychology and the Roman Catholic moral tradition of Thomas Aquinas.[5] His book investigates neuroscience in many ways, including reflection on Jaak Panksepp, as well as the neuroscience of habit formation dialoguing with the theories of James Clear and Charles Duhigg.[6] Aquinas’ hylomorphic understanding of the human person is aso used for reflection by other Catholic authors through the eyes of neuroscience. Examples are Jason Eberl and Steven Jensen.[7]
Another influential Catholic author whose work has been drawn into dialogue with neuroscience is Bernard Lonergan. While getting a PhD from Boston College Daniel Helminiak was a teaching assistant to Bernard Lonergan, who Newsweek magazine called the Thomas Aquinas of the 20th Century.[8] Helminiak’s book Brain, Consciousness, and God: A Lonerganian Integration dives deeply into neuroscience and Lonergan’s thought.[9]
Eastern Orthodox – Gratitude in Life’s Trenches by Robin Phillips explores how theologians and saints, many of whom are connected with the Orthodox tradition, have been able to maintain gratitude in the face of life’s hardships and suffering.[10] The book draws on some neuroscience relating to gratitude, emotions, and overall health. Phillips does not attempt to write the book exclusively for Orthodox Christians, but as it is steeped in Orthodox theology and published by the Orthodox press Ancient Faith, it has numerous Orthodox endorsements. Also drawing from an Orthodox faith, Bryce Rich’s book, Gender Essentialism and Orthodoxy, investigates neuroscience to challenge gender essentialism. While Rich understands sexuality from his Orthodox perspective, within the larger tradition of Orthodoxy, there remains disagreement about sexuality.[11]
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod – Allan Nauss, a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod pastor has written extensively on neuroscience, such as editing The Pastor’s Brain Manual and authoring his more recent Your Spiritual Brain. Despite endorsements from The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, Nauss writes generally that he “wants to bring these findings to the attention of the church and its clergy” rather than specifically for his own denomination. Along with chapters on preaching or relationship with God, The Pastor’s Brain Manual is rare in that it details a research survey of seminarians’ attitudes toward favoured neuroscience applications.
United Methodist Church (UMC) – Rolf Nolasco is a member of the United Methodist Church, a professor of pastoral theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and is also author of God’s Beloved Queer: Identity, Spirituality, and Practice. His book draws heavily from neuroscience.[12] Providing a voice and affirmation to the LGBTQ community is deeply important to many members of the UMC, yet it remains an area of disagreement within the denomination.
Seventh-day Adventist – Zeno Charles-Marcel, MD, is an associate director for Health Ministries at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.[13] He wrote an article that is both critical and cautionary of neurotheology, which he also connotes with “spiritual neuroscience” and “biological theology.”[14] Charles-Marcel cautions that “neurotheology cannot be accepted lock, stock, and barrel. Some Christians may be enamoured with the promising idea of proving the truth about God. But that is a promise that neurotheology cannot fulfil. First, it reduces religious experiences to mere brain activity. The scientific evidence is merely data that could lead to multiple interpretations.”[15] His wording that “some Christians” may be enamoured also implies that others are not.
Pentecostal and Charismatic – One of the most extensive treatments of Pentecostalism in relationship to neuroscience is James K.A. Smith and Amos Yong’s edited volume Science and the Spirit.[16] Another area of interest, especially within Pentecostalism, discussed by several ATS authors is glossolalia (also known as speaking in tongues). James K.A. Smith, Randall Holm of Providence Theological Seminary, and Michael Wolf wrote an article highlighting several different neuroscience perspectives on glossolalia as well as their faults.[17] Several other authors also reflect on neuroscience and glossolalia, though not identifying as Pentecostal themselves. Through drawing on neurobiology, Colleen Shantz notes how glossolalia would have fostered an ecstatic experience among the Pauline communities.[18] Patrick McNamara, in his The Neuroscience of Religious Experience also reflects on his understanding of how glossolalia facilitates a “decentering” of the self.[19] In his reflections, McNamara cites a 2006 study by Newberg, Wintering, Morgan, and Waldman.[20] Allan Nauss also touches on speaking in tongues in his most recent book, Your Spiritual Brain.
Anglican/Episcopal – The most influential and prolific Anglican who incorporated neuroscience in his writing was John Polkinghorne. He was an Anglican priest, fellow of the Royal Academy, professor at Cambridge, and recipient of the 2002 Templeton Prize. Thomas Jay Oord, professor at Northwest Nazarene University, edited The Polkinghorne Reader, which has a number of references to the brain and theology. Polkinghorne writes that “I cannot solve the problem of how brain and mind relate to each other, but I look for a solution along the lines of a dual-aspect monism, a complementary account of matter in ‘information’-bearing-pattern.”[21] Indicative of many other theological authors, Polkinghorne also warns that “the strategy of materialist atheists is usually to claim that science is all, and that beauty and the rest are merely human constructs arising from the hard-wiring of the brain.”[22]
Also speaking to how denominational lines are blurred or ambiguous are these two examples: Gena St. David, who wrote The Brain and the Spirit shares in her biography that “my spiritual practices are inspired by Quaker and Ignatian traditions” though she is a professor at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest.[23] Writing from personal experience as an Episcopal priest, my own book Neuroscience and the Fruit of the Spirit draws heavily on Anglican/Episcopal theology but also the Jesuit Daily Examen. While endorsed by Dean Ian Markham of the Episcopal Virginia Theological Seminary, I did not write the book exclusively for Episcopalians, but for the wider church.
Indigenous and First Nations Perspectives – NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community (formerly the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies) is a vocal advocate for Indigenous and First Nations perspectives. NAIITS is “dedicated to the development of increased theological capacity in the Indigenous community.”[24] NAIITS offers various resources to help Indigenous communities embrace their traditions of healing, such as a neuroscience presentation by University of Manitoba Dean and Professor of Social Work, Michael Yellowbird.[25] Traditional Indigenous mindfulness practices, such as ceremony, movement and running, laughter, humour, fasting, being outside, singing, and dancing can help heal the mind and body to overcome the damage of colonialism. Many authors, including Ian McGilchrist, are turning to the wisdom of Indigenous and First Nations perspectives to embrace a more holistic approach to life.
[25] “Brad Sheafor Lecture Series Dr Michael Yellow Bird,” Colorado State University College of Health and Human Sciences YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLFZkgumKxA.