معرفی
John P. Teehan is Professor and Chair of the Department of Religion at Hofstra University, where he has served as full-time faculty since 1998. He also serves on the editorial board of Evolutionary Psychological Science and is Associate Editor of Science, Religion and Culture. His interdisciplinary work bridges religious studies, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology, establishing him as a significant voice in the cognitive science of religion.
Dr. Teehan earned his BA from St. Joseph's College Brooklyn, MA in Psychology from CUNY Queens College (1987), and Doctorate in Philosophy from the Graduate Center, CUNY (1992). His educational background in both psychology and philosophy provides the foundation for his unique interdisciplinary approach to religious studies.
His primary research focuses on the cognitive/evolutionary study of morality and religion, with special interest in religious morality and religion's role in conflict. He argues that religions constitute moral worldviews that emerge from deep moral and emotional instincts, making religion profoundly important but also potentially dangerous in contexts of conflict. His work examines the interaction of cognitive-evolutionary theories with philosophy of religion, particularly regarding the Problem of Evil and religious belief. He has written extensively on how evolved cognitive mechanisms form the nexus between religion and morality.
Dr. Teehan's publication record shows an evolution from traditional cognitive science approaches toward more embodied and enactive models of religious cognition. His recent work increasingly integrates 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, extended, enactive) perspectives, suggesting religious cognition should be understood as an embodied process rather than merely computational. This theoretical shift maintains his focus on religion's moral dimensions while strengthening the scientific grounding of cognitive science of religion.
- Honourable Mention, 2010 Prose Awards for In the Name of God: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Ethics and Violence
Dr. Teehan has supervised numerous graduate students in religious studies and related fields, though specific names are not listed in available materials. His research has been supported by academic grants enabling interdisciplinary work at the intersection of religion, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology. He has also served as a behavioral psychological consultant and chaired the Medical Ethics committee of a mental health care organization, demonstrating practical applications of his theoretical work.
His scholarship engages with contemporary issues including religious violence, the intersection of religion and politics, and the cognitive foundations of religious belief. His work on Islamic radicalism following events like the Paris attacks demonstrates his commitment to applying theoretical frameworks to real-world religious conflicts while maintaining nuanced understanding of complex social phenomena.
