About

New Visions in Theological Anthropology: Engaging with the Behavioral Sciences is a project designed to get theologians thinking carefully about theological anthropology on those questions that involve evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, and cognitive science. This project is intended as an exercise in science-engaged theology. By this, we see science as an authentic theological source alongside – not in competition with – scripture, tradition, and reason.

We don’t think that all theology needs to be science-engaged, nor do we think that theological anthropology needs science more than any other area. But we must begin somewhere. Therefore, within the overarching umbrellas of behavioral science and theological anthropology, we will focus on three subdisciplinary pairings:

1. Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology
2. Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology
3. Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science

Summer Workshops

Apply now for June 2020

What we provide

• One-week collaborative summer workshop in Scotland, where participants can work on their own research
• Full transportation, lodging and meals during the workshop
• Stipend of £3,500, plus opportunity for significant follow-up funding (£25,000)
• AAR travel subsidy (£500)

Our vision

• For the next three years, our project will focus on three subdisciplinary pairings within the overarching umbrellas of behavioral science and theological anthropology:
  1. Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology
  2. Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology
  3. Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science
• Our project doesn’t study ‘science and religion’ as such. Instead we are interested in thoroughgoingly theological questions that are explicit about what branch of science they draw upon and what subdisciplines of theology they fall within. Any scientific and theological (biblical, ethics, philosophical, practical, systematic, etc) subdisciplines are welcome, provided they are clearly stated.
• We don’t think that all theology need be science-engaged. That is, we do not think that because empirical data is needed for some theological questions that it is thus required for all theological questions; but, when it is required, we want to encourage this to be done well.
• We prioritize theological puzzles.
  • What is a Theological Puzzle?
  • Sample Theological Puzzles

Additional funding

Participants with particularly promising projects will be eligible for competitive follow-on funding to support additional research. These follow-up proposals may be for amounts of up to £20,000 for research support, and applicants should request up to an additional £5,000 to enable them to engage in activities that draw their work into deeper engagement with contemporary science and practicing scientists.

Activities of the latter sort could include short-term or long-term visits to a scientific laboratory or research group, attending a scientific conference or meeting a scientist whose work is pertinent to the area of theological inquiry, buying scientific books, paying a scientist honoraria to consult or review drafts of your work, or some similar activity that deepens engagement with an active scientific research field.