Neuroscience & the Soul in Psychological Perspective

This course addresses the impact that recent discoveries in the interdisciplinary field of neuroscience have on our understanding of the soul and human nature. It explores the various theological and philosophical positions about the soul and examines recent neuroscientific data and frameworks proposed to explain our psychological experience.

It is designed for advanced level undergraduates who have a background in general education courses in Psychology, Christian Thought/Theology and Philosophy and will have two foundational sections about the nature of theological anthropology and the soul in theology, as well as philosophical positions on the nature of the mind and soul (Section 1), and perspectives on relevant neuroscience and neuropsychology research and its limitations (Section 2). Both sections will have relevant guest speakers who will address their own contributions to the discourse. The final section (Section 3) is designed to focus on case studies (e.g. brain tumors, psychopathology) and neuropsychological syndromes (i.e. Autism) to examine practical, ‘real-world’ relevance of the course question, ‘What is the link between the brain and the soul?’ Potential award funds would be used pay for off-campus speaker expenses who would also give evening lecture for the broader campus community and general public.

Science/Psychology/Faith Issues

While a variety of frameworks exist within the context of psychology and theology, the process of engaging the material with the Christian worldview will be based on the following:

1. 1. 1. Jesus Christ is the Maker of all that is, seen and unseen.
      2. The Holy Spirit actively works to transform, heal and minister to our entire being.
      3. While Scripture speaks with a variety of voices on a variety of issues, it was not intended to be read as a scientific text. Therefore, we should neither read it as such nor require it to be a science textbook.
      4. Knowledge (or little “t” truth) obtained through the natural and social sciences is part of an ongoing process utilizing probabilistic evaluation of theories and has its own epistemological framework and assumptions. Theoretical deduction and empirical induction as part of a scientific framework are rooted in the empirical observation of Creation.
      5. Christians have been given the responsibility to care for and study Creation as part of our worship of our Maker.
      6. Christian theology can be either a priori or a posteriori. Examples of a priori theology include the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. The Wheaton College Statement of Faith is another example. A priori theology deals with first order assumptions about the nature of God. A posteriori theology involves the testing of theological matters and is, therefore, similar to the science of psychology. Utilizing induction and deduction, truth claims are posited and then evaluated. The principles of reliability and validity apply to both the science of psychology and the science of theology.
      7. The nature of the process of engaging Christian faith with psychology varies widely. Specifically, engaging many Biblical and theological subjects occurs with little difficulty in the applied and clinical areas of psychology.  The more empirical and biological areas of psychology are rooted more in the a priori assumptions of the scientific method and may not yield clearly empirical, or what we might expect to be overtly Christian, hypotheses.
      8. Within the context of this class, the development of a Christian worldview and proper understanding of the limits of neuroscience research on understanding the soul will be the primary topic of discussion. Other topics (i.e. evolution) will be addressed only when relevant to this topic.

Click here to download the syllabus for Neuroscience & the Soul in Psychological Perspective

Course Goals and Objectives

• To provide students with a background in theological with apology, philosophy of mind, and foundations of neuroscience.
• To enable students to critically evaluate theological, philosophical and neuroscientific scholarship which relates to questions of human nature within a Christian worldview.
• To encourage students to engage in a future of irenic discourse in the wider society on matters of faith, ethics, psychopathology, and social responsibility that is informed by neuroscience.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Name and describe the major views of the mind-body problem and their relevance to both neuroscience and theology.
2. Name and describe the nature Christian theological positions on human nature and the Imago Dei. And their relevance to neuroscience and philosophy.
3. Identify the neurological systems believed to underlie the religious experience, agency, emotion, and morality.
4. Describe the areas of disagreement and agreement between philosophy, theology, and neuroscience with respect to the soul and to engage in critical reflection on human nature informed by these three disciplines.
5. Provide examples of neuropsychological case studies and syndromes which impact the way we think about the soul, and articulate a theologically informed understanding of these conditions from a Christian worldview.

Course Readings

Required Texts:

• Brown, Warren S. and Strawn, Brad D. The Physical Nature of Christian Life: Neuroscience, Psychology, and the Church, Cambridge University Press. 2012
• Moreland, J.P. The Recalcitrant Imago Dei: Human Persons and the Failure of Naturalism. SCM Press. 2009.

Course Reading Packet:

• Barbier, Johan S., Gabriëls, Loes, van Laere, Koen, and Nuttin, Bart. Successful Anterior Capsulotomy in Comorbid Anorexia Nervosa and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Case Report. Neurosurgery. 69 (3):E745-E745.
• Bronstein, JM; Tagliati, M; Alterman, RL; Lozano, AM; Volkmann, J; Stefani, A; Horak, FB; Okun, MS; Foote, KD; Krack, P; Pahwa, R; Henderson, JM; Hariz, MI; Bakay, RA; Rezai, A; Marks, WJ Jr; Moro, E; Vitek, JL; Weaver, FM; Gross, RE; DeLong, MR. (2010) Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson Disease: An Expert Consensus and Review of Key Issues. Archives of Neurology, 68(2):165- 165.
• Buchman, Daniel Z., Skinner, Wayne and Illes, Judy. (2010) Negotiating the Relationship Between Addiction, Ethics, and Brain Science. American Journal of Bioethics: Neuroscience, 1 (1):36-45.
• Burns, J.M.; Swerdlow, R.H. (2003) Right orbitofrontal tumor with pedophilia symptom and constructional apraxia sign. Archives of Neurology, 60 (3):437-440.
• Carrazana, Enrique and Cheng, Jocelyn (2011) St Theresa’s Dart and a Case of Religious Ecstatic Epilepsy. Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology, 24 (3):152–155.
• Choudhury, Suparna and Slaby, Jan. Critical Neuroscience. Wiley-Blackwell. 2012. Chapter 4. Scanning the Lifeworld.; Chapter 14. Cultural Neuroscience as Critical Neuroscience in Practice.
• Christen, Markus, Bittlinger, Merlin, Walter, Henrik, Brugger, Peter, and Müller, Sabine. (2012). Dealing With Side Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation: Lessons Learned From Stimulating the STN. American Journal of Bioethics: Neuroscience 3 (1):37-43

• Cooper, John W. Body, Soul & Life Everlasting: Biblical Anthropology and the Monism-Dualism Debate. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI. 1989. Chapter 1. Traditional Christian Anthropology and Its Modern Critics. Chapter 5. The Monism-Dualism Debate about New Testament Anthropology. Chapter 10. Holistic Dualism, Science, and Philosophy.
• Csigóa, K., Harsányia, A., Demeterb, Gy., Rajkaia,Cs, Némethc, A. and Racsmányb, M. (2010) Long-term follow-up of patients with obsessive– compulsive disorder treated by anterior capsulotomy: A neuropsychological study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 126 (1–2):198–205.
• The Human Person in Science and Theology. Eds. Gregersen, Neils Henrik, Drees, Willem B., and Gorman, Ulf. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI. Chapter 3 – The Multifaceted Nature of Human Personhood: Psychological and Theological Perspectives by Fraser Watts. Chapter 5 – Imago Dei: The Possibility and Necessity of the Human Person by Philip Hefner.
• In Search of the Soul: Four Views of the Mind-Body Problem., Eds Green, Joel B. and Palmer, Stuart L. (2005). InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. Chapter 3
• On Behalf of Emergent Dualism by William Hasker. Chapter 5 – The Constitution View of Persons by Kevin Corcoran.
• Hall, M. E. L. (2010). What are bodies for?: An integrative examination of embodiment. Christian Scholar’s Review, 39(2):159-176.
• Heyes, Cecilia (2010) Where Do Mirror Neurons Come From? Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 34:575-583.
• Hoekema, Anthony. Created in God’s Image. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI. 1986. Chapter 5: The Image of God: A Theological Summary. Chapter 11: The Whole Person.
• Knabb, Joshua J, Welsh, Robert K, Ziebell, Joseph G, and Reimer, Kevin S. (2009). Neuroscience, Moral Reasoning, and the Law. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 27:219-236.
• Leben, Derek. (2011) Cognitive Neuroscience and Moral Decision-making: Guide or Set Aside? Neuroethics, 4 (2): 163-174.
• Lee, J-H; Ryu, J; Jolesz, FA; Cho, Z-H; and Yoo, S-S. (2009). Brain-Machine Interface Via Real-Time fMRI: Preliminary Study on Thought Controlled Robotic Arm. Neuroscience Letters. 450:1-6.
• Markham, Paul N. Rewired: Exploring Religious Conversion. Pickwick Publications, Eugene, OR. 2007. Chapter 4 – Rewired: Re-Imagining Christian Religious Conversion.
• McGilchrist, Ian. The Master and His Emissary. Yale University Press, 2010. Chapter 2 – What Do the Two Hemispheres ‘Do’?; Chapter 4 – The Nature of the Two Worlds.
• Morrison, Samantha, Decety, Jean and Molenberghs, Pascal (2012) The Neuroscience of Group Membership. Neuropsychologia, 50:2114-2120.
• Polšek, Dora; Jagatic, Tomislav, Cepanec, Maja, Hof, Patrick R. and Šimić, Goran. (2011) Recent developments in neuropathology of autism spectrum disorders. Translational Neuroscience, 2 (3): 256-264.
• Rose, Steven P.R. (2005) Human Agency in the Neurocentric Age. EMBO Reports, 6 (11):1001-1005.
• Roskies, Adina (2010). How Does Neuroscience Affect Our Conception of Volition? Annual Review of Neuroscience, 33:109-130.
• Spreng, R. Nathan, Mar, Raymond A. and Kim, Alice S. N. (2008) The Common Neural Basis of Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, Navigation, Theory of Mind, and the Default Mode: A Quantitative Meta-analysis. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 21(3):489–510.
• Suminski, AJ; Tkach, DC; Fagg, AH; and Hatsopoulos, NG. (2010). Incorporating Feedback from Multiple Sensory Modalities Enhances Brain-Machine Interface Control. Journal of Neuroscience, 30 (50):13777-13787.