The Science of Religion (edX)

The course is based on the idea that religion is a naturalistic phenomenon — meaning it can be studied and better understood using the tools of science. Religious belief and practice emerge naturally from the structure of human psychology, and have an important impact on the structure of societies, the way groups relate to each other, and the ability of human beings to cooperate effectively.

Topics to be covered will include traditional and contemporary theories of religion, with a special emphasis on cultural evolutionary models.

Production of this MOOC was partially funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Partnership Grant on ‘The Evolution of Religion and Morality’ (PI: Edward Slingerland), and represents one of this grant’s major knowledge mobilization and research dissemination initiatives.

What you'll learn

- Evolutionary and cognitive scientific approaches to the study of religion

- The origins of religion, and its role in human life

- How religion relates to morality, spirituality and atheism

- The role of religion in current events and conflict hotspots around the world

- The role religion may have played in the origin of civilization