Berkley Center

Can the new science of mind and brain help overcome longstanding perceived divisions between believers of different faiths? Members of one faith may think of members of another faith as fundamentally different from themselves. Viewed through the lens of modern cognitive and brain science, however, the basic characteristics of a brain are the same no matter where it lives or in which religious context it develops. Thus, it is likely that the brains of diverse believers actually manifest belief similarly, and that shared neuro-cognitive pathways lead to the development of belief across disparate faiths.

The "Cognition of Belief” conference is convening leading scholars to explore this issue. Leading up to the conference, the Berkley Forum is asking participants to reflect on the following questions: In an era of "alternative facts," what exactly are the thought processes leading people to believe in some things rather than others? What forms the basis of belief, and what role do science, objectivity, and religion play in forming that basis? Does religious context affect the cognition of belief and, if so, how?