Interdisciplinary
Cross-domain insights at disciplinary boundaries
Some of the most significant insights emerge at the boundaries between disciplines. Interdisciplinary fields—cognitive science of religion, philosophy of mind, complexity theory—reveal patterns that no single discipline could uncover alone.
Cognitive Science of Religion
Natural Cognition of the Divine
Research shows that belief in supernatural agents is "natural" to human cognition—children develop such beliefs spontaneously. This could mean religion is a cognitive byproduct, or it could mean humans are designed to perceive transcendent reality.
The "sensus divinitatis" proposed by Reformed epistemology finds empirical support: humans appear cognitively equipped for theistic belief.
Philosophy of Mind
The Mind-Body Problem
The relationship between mind and brain remains deeply puzzling. Consciousness, intentionality, and free will resist reduction to physical processes.
- The "hard problem" of consciousness: why is there subjective experience at all?
- Intentionality: how can physical states be "about" something?
- Mental causation: how can thoughts cause physical actions?
Theism offers a natural solution: if ultimate reality is mental (God is mind), then the existence of finite minds is expected rather than mysterious.
Complexity Theory
Emergence and Hierarchy
Complex systems exhibit emergent properties—wholes that are more than the sum of their parts. Reality appears hierarchically organized, with higher levels (life, mind, society) emerging from lower levels.
This hierarchical structure, with consciousness at the apex, is more naturally explained if reality is grounded in mind than if mind is an accidental byproduct of mindless matter.