God, Theology & Cognitive Modules: A General Theory of Human Thought

Does God exist? It is possible to postpone dealing with this question and look instead at how the mind forms an image of God and how this image of God affects personal behavior. This book presents a model of the mind, based in cognitive modules which map onto brain regions, that was developed by studying personality. This book starts with the approach that is taken by the emerging field of cognitive science and religion but goes significantly further, analyzing religious doctrine in substantial detail. In addition, this same model of the mind is used to analyze scientific thought, including an extensive discussion of Thomas Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions as well as Willard Quine's Web of Belief. This radically interdisciplinary book attempts to be reasonably rigorous while still explaining concepts clearly and simply. The more technical information has been placed in appendices.

This 250,000 word volume presents a new integrated model of cognition, which views the human mind as a set of seven interacting modules: Two of these modules function emotionally, two handle knowledge and skills, one is related to the dopamine desire circuit, one controls planning and technical thought, while the final module adjusts the operation of the other six.

This book uses the operation and interaction of these seven modules to provide a cognitive explanation for religious concepts such as an image of God, mysticism, conscience, blind faith, worship, monotheism, the trinity, incarnation, atonement, righteousness, a belief in heaven, a belief in hell, holy books, chosenness, fundamentalism, the supernatural, and the Christian 'prayer of salvation'.

This same approach is also used to explain scientific concepts such as the basis for science, the paradigm, the paradigm shift, the exemplar, induction, hypothesis, analogy, logic, syllogism, algebraic manipulation, the function, and the physics of music and harmony. In addition, psychological and philosophical concepts are explained such as Piaget's stages of development, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, cognitive styles, Foucault's epistemes, Kant's categorical imperative, Plato's Forms, and Heiddeger's dasein and authenticity.

The author has done almost thirty years of research in the area of personality and cognitive science.

"Lorin Friesen deserves thanks for a volume which is innovative, unique, challenging, highly integrative, and mind-stretching. The serious reader will be greatly rewarded."
John H. Redekop Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Wilfrid Laurier University