2025 - Present.

An introduction to scientific methods and their application to the study of religion, focusing on scientific explanations for religious belief and behaviour.

Have you ever wondered why many people are religious while others are not? Or whether or not religion has measurable effects on a person’s mental health or behavioural outcomes? This paper introduces students to the scientific theories and methods employed to understand religion as a natural phenomenon. Students will learn what cutting-edge psychology experiments reveal about religious belief, as well as the systematic patterning of religions across cultures. The course will also discuss the place of religion within the context of human evolution, scientific studies of religion in contemporary New Zealand, and the future of religious belief and unbelief.