Why have religious beliefs and behaviors been nearly universal in human societies? What accounts for similarities and differences across time and across cultures? Could the answer lie in the human brain? Scholars in the cognitive science of religion (CSR) believe that it can- the prevalence of religion is a result of the way our minds work. CSR advances in psychology explain various patterns in religious thought and action. This scientific approach has grown rapidly over the past couple of decades. However, it has often been conflated with related subjects such as evolution and neuroscience. CSR is neither: it straddles the line between cognitive sciences and the study of religion.The Oxford Handbook of the Cognitive Science of Religion directly identifies CSR's unique contributions and clarifies its relationship to neighboring disciplines. With contributions from the field's founders and its rising stars, this volume offers a critical overview of more than 25 years of research. From discussions of human nature to the role of ritual, the contributors offer comprehensive and in-depth analysis of key questions in CSR. Readers will have a variety of entry points to truly grasp where CSR has been, where it is, and where it might go.

Table of ContentsPart One: Historical, Theoretical, and Methodological Foundations of CSR1. Ghostly Relationships: Differentiating Cognitive Science of Religion and Psychology of ReligionJustin L. Barrett2. The Historical Genesis of Cognitive Science of ReligionE. Thomas Lawson3. Philosophical Foundations of the Cognitive Science of ReligionAku Visala4. The Cognitive Study of Religious Activity: Beyond Religion and BeliefPascal BoyerPart Two: Religious Concepts5. Gods: Cognition, Culture, and EcologyBenjamin Grant Purzycki6. The Nature of HumansRebekah A. Richert and Kirsten Lesage7. Nature of the WorldJulie Scott and Justin L. BarrettPart Three: Religious Actions8. Explaining and Solving Practical Problems SupernaturallyRachel Watson-Jones & Cristine H. Legare9. Mortuary PracticesClaire WhitePart Four: Religious Objects10. Scripturalism: A theoryBrian Malley11. Special ObjectsTyler S. GreenwayPart Five: Religious Experiences12. Conceiving Religious Dreams and Mystical Experiences: A Predictive Processing InvestigationRobert E. Sears13. Extreme RitualsDimitris XygalatasPart Six: Forming Religious Systems14. Key Ingredients for a World Religion: Insights from Cognitive and Evolutionary ScienceJames Van Slyke and D. Jason Slone15. What is the Role of Ritual in Binding Communities Together?Harvey Whitehouse and Christopher M. Kavanagh16. The Failure of Religious SystemsHugh Turpin and Jonathan A. LanmanPart Seven: CSR's Relations and Implications17. Neuroscience of ReligionUffe Schjoedt and Michiel van Elk18. Soul Mates? Conflicts and Complementarities in the Evolutionary and Cognitive Sciences of ReligionRichard Sosis, John Shaver, Benjamin Grant Purzycki, and Jordan Kiper19. CSR and Religious Belief. Epistemic friends or foes?Hans Van Eyghen20. The Cultural & Developmental Niche of Religious Cognitions: Educational Implications of the Cognitive Science of ReligionRebekah A. Richert21. Lived Faith and Cognitive Intuitions: Some Theological Implications of Cognitive Science of ReligionLaird R. O. Edman and Myron A. Penner