Justin L. Barrett
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Justin L. Barrett (born 1971) is an American
experimental psychologist Experimental psychology refers to work done by those who apply experimental methods to psychological study and the underlying processes. Experimental psychologists employ human participants and animal subjects to study a great many topics, in ...
, Founder and President of Blueprint 1543, a nonprofit organization. He formerly was the Director of the Thrive Center for Human Development in Pasadena, California, Thrive Professor of Developmental Science, and Professor of Psychology at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. He previously was a senior researcher and director of the Centre for Anthropology and Mind at the Institute for Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
.


Career

Barrett earned a B.A. in
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
from Calvin College and a Ph.D in experimental psychology (cognitive and developmental focus) from
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
. He served on the psychology faculties of Calvin College and the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
(Ann Arbor), and as a research fellow of the
Institute for Social Research The Institute for Social Research (german: Institut für Sozialforschung, IfS) is a research organization for sociology and continental philosophy, best known as the institutional home of the Frankfurt School and critical theory. Currently a pa ...
. Dr. Barrett is a founding editor of the ''Journal of Cognition & Culture'' and is author of numerous articles and chapters concerning the
cognitive science of religion Cognitive science of religion is the study of religious thought and behavior from the perspective of the cognitive and evolutionary sciences. Scholars in this field seek to explain how human minds acquire, generate, and transmit religious thoughts ...
.


Views on evolution of religious belief

Barrett is described in the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
as a "prominent member of the byproduct camp" and "an observant Christian who believes in “an all-knowing, all-powerful, perfectly good God who brought the universe into being,” nd“that the purpose for people is to love God and love each other.” He considers that “ Christian theology teaches that people were crafted by God to be in a loving relationship with him and other people, Why wouldn’t God, then, design us in such a way as to find belief in divinity quite natural?” Having a scientific explanation for mental phenomena does not mean we should stop believing in them. “Suppose science produces a convincing account for why I think my wife loves me — should I then stop believing that she does?”


''Why Would Anyone Believe in God?''

In his book ''Why Would Anyone Believe in God?'' he suggests that "belief in God is an almost inevitable consequence of the kind of minds we have. Most of what we believe comes from mental tools working below our conscious awareness. And what we believe consciously is in large part driven by these unconscious beliefs." and "that beliefs in gods match up well with these automatic assumptions; beliefs in an all-knowing, all-powerful God match up even better."


See also

* Christianity and science *
Cognitive science of religion Cognitive science of religion is the study of religious thought and behavior from the perspective of the cognitive and evolutionary sciences. Scholars in this field seek to explain how human minds acquire, generate, and transmit religious thoughts ...
* Evolutionary origins of religion *
Psychology of religion Psychology of religion consists of the application of psychological methods and interpretive frameworks to the diverse contents of religious traditions as well as to both religious and irreligious individuals. The various methods and frameworks ...


Books

* ''Why Would Anyone Believe in God?'' (AltaMira, 2004) presents an account for the prevalence of religious beliefs, based in the field of Cognitive Science. It represents the field's first relatively comprehensive introduction intended for a general audience.''Religion Compass'' 1(2007) *
''Cognitive Science, Religion, and Theology''
(Templeton Press, 2011) is the eighth title published in the Templeton Science and Religion Series, in which scientists from a wide range of fields distill their experience and knowledge into brief tours of their respective specialties. *
''Born Believers: The Science of Childhood Religion''
(The Free Press, 2012)
Thriving With Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing
ritten with Pamela Ebstyne King(InterVarsity Press, 2021)


Selected articles

* "Cognitive Science of Religion: What is it and Why is it?" ''Religion Compass'' 1, 6 (2007). Provides a brief review of cognitive science and religion. * "Exploring the Natural Foundations of Religion," ''
Trends in Cognitive Sciences ''Trends in Cognitive Sciences'' (''TiCS'') is a monthly peer-reviewed review journal published by Cell Press. It is one of 14 journals in the '' Trends'' series. its editor is Lindsey Drayton. ''Journal Citation Reports'' (Thomson Reuters) lists ...
,'' 2000, vol.4 pp 29–34


Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Justin L. Christians from California Cornell University alumni 1971 births Living people University of Michigan faculty Cognitive science of religion