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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
On The Evolutionary Origins Of Religious Belief, Robert Duane Howard
On The Evolutionary Origins Of Religious Belief, Robert Duane Howard
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Religious belief is a byproduct of evolutionarily designed cognitive mechanisms. The ubiquity of religious belief and experience across human cultures is explained by our common human psychology; our domain-specific cognitive mechanisms give rise, collectively, to the phenomenon of byproduct religious belief/experience. In this thesis, I will examine what I call religion-generating cognitive mechanisms, and I will argue that byproduct raw god-beliefs are developed by cultures into refined god-beliefs. These refined god-beliefs are co-opted by evolutionary processes and are cultural adaptations. My conception of “religious belief” in terms of raw and refined god-beliefs allows a disambiguation of the term “religion,” and …
Establishing A Solid Foundation Through An Identity In Christ, Matthew S. Pedersen
Establishing A Solid Foundation Through An Identity In Christ, Matthew S. Pedersen
Senior Honors Theses
An identity in Christ is the only solid foundation on which adolescents or adults can build their life. Identity is a major building block in a person’s life. Individuals with an unhealthy identity as a result of the culture will need to make many changes to this foundation in order to keep an accurate view of their lives. The definition of identity can show examples of negative consequences of an unhealthy identity. An identity based on the views of culture can show areas of weakness. Examining what the Bible says about man before and after a relationship with Christ will …
Comparison Of The Use Of Gendered Language In Discourse On Christian Theology And Psychology, Chloe Ackerman
Comparison Of The Use Of Gendered Language In Discourse On Christian Theology And Psychology, Chloe Ackerman
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
The English language has historically reflected the sexist principles of Western culture. Common examples include the use of sexist pronouns and nouns such as policeman, businessman, or servicemen to represent men and women. Research in the last 50 years revealed the detrimental effects of sexist language, and the English language was accordingly altered. However, sexist language is still used colloquially and in settings such as Christian theology. This study explored differences in the use of gender language between the discourse on Christian theology and psychology, and tested a method of promoting inclusive gender language in Christian discourse. One hundred thirty-nine …