Neuroscience, Ethics, and Religion: Moving Beyond Coexistence

Gillian Hue, Karen Rommelfanger, Paul Root Wolpe, Tara Raam - 2018 ABS Conference, Atlanta, Georgia

Neuroscience is a rapidly evolving field that aims to root human experience in the workings of the human brain. An ongoing discourse between neuroscience and various religious communities has often been fraught by tension that arises from a rigid separation of the material and spiritual dimensions of life, raising valuable questions about the nature of the mind, mental health, social relationships that bind humanity together, and the ethical systems that guide our use of technologies that alter brain function. In this conversational discussion, three professors from Emory University will share their reflections on this discourse and consider a path forward that integrates insights from neuroscience, ethics, and religion.