Religion & the Brain
Why does religion exist? Where does it come from? It’s pervasive throughout human history, yet individual traditions are surprisingly different. The demise of religion at the hands of science, often predicted since the 1600s, has not occurred. This course explores the emerging field of Cognitive Science of Religion to address these questions. We’ll examine religion on a macro level, focusing not on specific traditions but on religion as a cross-cultural and enduring human phenomenon. Ultimately, we’ll consider the question: Is religion the result of real contact with the supernatural, or a creation of the human brain?
Daniel Ullucci
Dan Ullucci received his BA from Boston University and PhD from Brown University. He has taught at numerous New England colleges and is currently Professor of Religious Studies at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.
Dan's teaching focuses on the development of early Christianity and the interaction between early Christian groups and traditional Mediterranean religions. His research has focused on the ritual of animal sacrifice and the process by which some early Christian groups came to reject this practice. He is currently working on a monograph on the spread of Christianity focusing on how and why Roman elites shifted their charitable giving from traditional Roman venues like animal sacrifice to Christian churches.
Dan is a native of Rhode Island and has lived in Arlington for fourteen years.
HL-Religion & the Brain
Online registration is overInstructors:
- Daniel Ullucci
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Oct 29th 2025 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM | Arlington High School |
| Wed, Nov 5th 2025 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM | Arlington High School |
| Wed, Nov 12th 2025 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM | Arlington High School |
| Wed, Nov 19th 2025 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM | Arlington High School |