معرفی
Paul Robertson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Classics, Humanities and Italian Studies at the University of New Hampshire. He holds a Ph.D. from Brown University and a B.A. from Reed College, with expertise spanning ancient Mediterranean religion, philosophy, and the cognitive science of religion. His academic work bridges classical studies, religious theory, and cognitive science.
Robertson's research interests include Ancient/Medieval Philosophy, Classical Studies, Cognitive Sciences, Comparative Religion, Early Christianity, Late Antiquity studies, and the Theory of religion. He particularly focuses on the origins of big ideas in western thought, tracing the diverse influences on modern understandings of morality, justice, virtue, health and spirituality. His work in the cognitive science of religion investigates how the human brain's biological evolution shapes religious beliefs and practices across cultures.
His publications reveal a consistent focus on quantitative approaches to religious studies, ancient textual analysis, and the intersection of cognitive science with historical religious phenomena. Recent work has explored mind-based models of religion, statistical analysis of Paul's letters, and the cognitive underpinnings of religious imagery like shadows in the New Testament.
- Course Development Grant in Global Religion, "Religion and Cognition" (awarded by University of Notre Dame & Templeton Foundation, 2019)
- Cognitive and Neurological Approaches to the Study of Religious Beliefs (awarded by UNH College of Liberal Arts, 2018)
- New Hampshire Humanities Collaborative (NHHC) (awarded by Mellon Foundation, 2025-2027)
Robertson teaches a diverse range of courses including Classical Mythology, Introduction to Humanities, Greek & Roman Religion, and specialized seminars on ancient views of the good life. His teaching spans from 2017 to 2025, demonstrating ongoing active engagement in undergraduate education across multiple disciplines within the humanities.
