Christianity and the Roots of Morality : Philosophical, Early Christian, and Empirical Perspectives

What is the role of religion, especially Christianity, in morality, pro-social behavior and altruism? Are there innate human moral capacities in the human mind? When and how did they appear in the history of evolution? What is the real significance of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount ― does it set up unique moral standards or only crystallize humans’ innate moral intuitions? What is the role of religious teachings and religious communities in pro-social behavior? Christianity and the Roots of Morality: Philosophical, Early Christian, and Empirical Perspectives casts light on these questions through interdisciplinary articles by scholars from social sciences, cognitive science, social psychology, sociology of religion, philosophy, systematic theology, comparative religion and biblical studies.

Contributors include: Nancy T. Ammerman, István Czachesz, Grace Davie, Jutta Jokiranta, Simo Knuuttila, Kristen Monroe, Mika Ojakangas, Sami Pihlström, Antti Raunio, Heikki Räisänen (✝), Risto Saarinen, Kari Syreeni, Lauri Thurén, Petri Ylikoski.

Petri Luomanen, ThD (1996), University of Helsinki, is Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Culture and Literature at that university. He has published monographs and many articles on early Christianity, including Explaining Christian Origins and Early Judaism (Brill 2007; co-edited with Ilkka Pyysiäinen and Risto Uro) and Recovering Jewish-Christian Sects and Gospels (Brill, 2012).

Anne Birgitta Pessi, ThD (2004), University of Helsinki, is Professor of Church and Social Studies at that university. She has published, in over 50 referee journal articles and is currently directing two large interdisciplinary research projects on compassion and care.

Ilkka Pyysiäinen, PhD (1993) University of Helsinki is Docent in Comparative Religion at that university and the University of Turku. He has published widely in the cognitive science of religion, including How Religion Works (Brill, 2001, 2003) and Supernatural Agents: Why We Believe in Souls, Gods, and Buddhas (Oxford University Press, 2009).