Creationism, Indiana Style

The Indiana State Senate has passed a bill that allows schools to teach creationism. What is different about this bill is that it includes the ability for schools to teach the origin theories of several religions. Republicans who support the bill dominate in both the Senate and the House, so the measure is expected to become law at the end of the legislative session. Given the changing composition of the US Supreme Court, supporters believe that the bill overcomes objections that led to the court to rule against previous creationism bills.

James McGrath, a Butler University professor, has offered an interesting commentary opposing the bill from his perspective as a professor of religion. He questions the extent to which high school teachers are prepared to teach the curriculum, which seems a valid concern.

But perhaps the most interesting twist in this story to me is the fact that the bill's proponents include the creation stories of six religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Scientology. Yes, Scientology. I am not aware of any instances in which Scientology has received such high-level support at a state level. I do not know if this indicates that there is a groundswell of interest in Scientology, or if it is included for more political reasons. In any case, it is a fascinating development.

Internet Issues in USA -- SOPA and PIPA

If you are in the USA, you may have heard of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect-IP Act (PIPA). Advocates of these proposals in the legislature claim that they will protect people who create resources from having them stolen or used without proper attribution. Opponents point out that these acts strike at the heart of what makes the internet useful, not only for intellectual property but also for commerce.

Visit http://americancensorship.org/ for more information about these proposals, and to join me and others in protesting the proposed legislation. We do need to protect intellectual property, but these measures go too far. For instance, as I understand the proposals I would need to remove all links to other sites, because if I link to another site that has taken information from an unattributed source, or has linked to it without the creator's permission, I could be held liable for breaking the law. LInking to information is at the heart of the internet, and laws such as that would render the internet almost useless. So, please, go to http://americancensorship.org/ to learn more and to tell your legislator that there needs to be a better way.

Thanks.

Religion in Poli Sci, Psychology, and our Social World

Over the years, psychologists of religion have bemoaned the neglect of religion's role in people's behavior. A new report shows that psychology is not alone in this. Religion is ignored in political science, too. In some ways this seems a bit surprising, given the high profile religion has in US politics. Religion is often a part of presidential elections, and especially so in this cycle with numerous stories about whether Evangelical Republicans can/should/will support Mitt Romney, who seems objectionable to them both for his 'flip-flopping' stance on social issues, and for his Mormonism. The subject of religion has come up in other ways, too. For instance, there have been recent polls finding that voters in most districts would be loathe to elect an atheist or a Muslim, or Newt Gingrich's conversion to Catholicism, or Santorum or Perry's stance on issues connected with the evangelical vote. But, in terms of popular press, those stories take a distant second to Mitt's Mormonism.

So, it is interesting that the topic has been neglected in political science research in spite of its relevance to current events.

We face a similar problem in the psychology of religion. Much of our research and work deals with interesting theoretical questions. Another common topic concerns the much-less-interesting effort to devise new scales, which Gorsuch and others have bemoaned for decades. What we could use, however, is more current, socially-relevant research. Religion and spirituality are vital parts of many people's everyday lives. Religion and spirituality impact us on many levels, from how we process information, to how we interact with other individuals, to what we direct our social institutions to do.

I would argue that when we improve our discipline's connection with the world around us, we will also increase our stature within psychology. The embrace of health psychology is a good example of this change. Whereas two or three decades ago it was unusual for an introductory textbook to have a chapter devoted to health psychology, it has become common now. Psychology has much to contribute to our understanding of health, and health is an area of life that interests many of our students (as well as society at large). The same is true of religion, and if psychologists of religion investigate socially relevant aspects of our field, we will facilitate the growth and development of the psychology of religion.

"Brain on God", from NPR

National Public Radio offers an introduction to the brain's role in religious experience. The site might be useful to share with your students, or as a way to see how this aspect of the psych of religion is represented in the media. Visit it when you have a chance. (Given that it has been a Very Long Time since I posted, you might need to awake from your reverie first.)

Master's Programs in Psych of Religion

Two universities in the UK now offer master's degree programs in the psychology of religion. I have added the information to my page on graduate study in psych of religion, but I want to advertise these efforts here as well.

Heythrop College, University of London, offers a M.A. in Psychology of Religion. This is a traditional course, with a strong reading list that will prepare students with an excellent understanding of the field's past and present.

Another program is fully online, through Glyndwr University in Wales. This program may offer more flexibility for students who are not near enough to attend Heythrop and can thereby take advantage of in-person classes.

For more information about graduate school options in psychology of religion, view my graduate study page to get started.

Conference in Sri Lanka

The International Conference on Psychology and Allied Professions will be held in Sri Lanka, December 5-8, 2011. The agenda and materials for this conference are too lengthy to summarize adequately on this blog. I have made them available to you at this link. I hope that someone will be able to attend, and tell me about the experience. It sounds like a tremendous opportunity to exchange ideas about psychology and spirituality in a fascinating context. In addition to the academic sessions, the President of Sri Lanka will speak to attendees, and the conference will include ceremonial dance, and blessings by religious dignitaries.

Position at Uppsala University

Uppsala University seeks to hire a researcher or postdoc in the psychology of religion. The ad indicates "The position as researcher/postdoc in Psychology of Religion involves primarily pursuing empirical research related to one or more of the following areas of the research programme: health, wellbeing, migration and ritual studies. Both cultural- and gender analysis are an integral part of all research projects included in the research programme." View the ad for more details.