Psychology Distinguished Lecture, Dr. Ara Norenzayan, University of British Columbia
2:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Room: Lecture: Kinesiology 101; Reception: University Club following lecture
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Lecture Title: The Psychology of Theodiversity
ABSTRACT: Most people in the world are religious, yet there is tremendous diversity in beliefs and practices throughout history and across cultures. In this talk, I present a program of research on the psychological antecedents and consequences of religion and religious diversity or “theodiversity.” I explore how diversity in religious beliefs and practices, some of them centered on the “Big Gods” of world religions promote large-scale cooperation, but also are implicated in intergroup competition and conflict. I also discuss how religious diversity, including different forms of disbelief, plays a role in intercultural relations and human-nature interactions in our globalized world.
BIOGRAPHY: Ara Norenzayan is professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, and a co-director of UBC ąú˛ú´«Ă˝ ’s Centre for Human Evolution, Cognition, and Culture (HECC). He has published widely on the evolutionary origins of religion, and the psychology of religious diversity in today ąú˛ú´«Ă˝ ’s globalized world. He is the author of Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict.
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