Some people seem to have a 'talent'for spiritual experience: they readily sense the presence
of supernatural beings, receive special messages from God, and report intense feelings of …

In this article, I review three contemporary streams of scholarship that are revitalizing the
cultural analysis of religion, an approach that dates to the discipline's founding. Research …

Buddhist-derived meditation practices are currently being employed as a popular form of
health promotion. While meditation programs draw inspiration from Buddhist textual sources …

A scientist integrates evolutionary biology, genetics, psychology, economics, and more to
explore the development and workings of human societies.“There is no good reason why …

We develop a cultural evolutionary theory of the origins of prosocial religions and apply it to
resolve two puzzles in human psychology and cultural history:(1) the rise of large-scale …

In recent years, the extent to which contemporary societies are secular has come under
scrutiny. At the same time, many countries, especially in Europe, have increasingly large …

In Religious Affects Donovan O. Schaefer challenges the notion that religion is inextricably
linked to language and belief, proposing instead that it is primarily driven by affects. Drawing …

Hearing the voice of God, feeling the presence of the dead, being possessed by a demonic
spirit—such events are among the most remarkable human sensory experiences. They …

Social scientists are increasingly attentive to the practical importance of research ethics and
professional codes of conduct when undertaking studies with human participants, especially …

Paloutzian (experimental and social psychology, Westmont College) and Park (psychology,
U. of Connecticut) provide a 33-chapter handbook on the psychology of religion and …