Since the early 2000s, a handful of biblical scholars started to turn to scientific explanations of human thought and behavior to understand cognitive processes behind the creation and use of biblical texts, including the biblical concepts of the divine, the rituals of the first Christ-believers, and the social interactions that influenced the formation and growth of their communities.Cognitive science has opened up an important new realm of research questions and tools for the study of antiquity. It is an area worth watching in biblical studies and the study of ancient Judaism.
See Also: Cognitive Science and the New Testament: A New Approach to Early Christian Research (Oxford University Press, 2017).
By István Czachesz
Professor of Biblical Studies
University of Tromsø
July 2017
I noted a recent review of this book here. And this post is also relevant to the subject.
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