Religion, Brains, and Persons: The Contribution of Neurology Patients and Clinicians to Understanding Human Faith

Abstract

This article presents a historical overview of the role played by neurology patients and clinicians in the development of understanding brain-behavior relationships and argues that, even with the advent of sophisticated functional brain imaging techniques, this clinical approach remains valuable. It is particularly important in the biological study of religion, where there is a danger that piecemeal and reductionist approaches will come to dominate. It is argued that religion is a socially located, multifaceted, and embodied phenomenon that occurs not in the brain but in the lives of human persons. Insights drawn from people living with conditions affecting the brain are thus vital for a full understanding of human identity, spirituality, and religion.