Religious Education and the Brain: A Practical Resource for Understanding How We Learn About God

What if what we know about our brains and the way humans think was applied to the way we nurture each other in faith? Would we do it differently? What if we let cognitive science inform our educational strategies and the ways we help each other form our spirits? What if we began to believe that brain research and scientific investigation could reveal something of our spiritual nature and destiny?" These questions are at the heart of Jerry Larsen's fascinating and sure-to-be-talked-about book. Writing in a clear, accessible style, Larsen offers a model and methods for joining the discoveries of brain science with the work of religious education. He touches on the discoveries about the left and right brain thinking styles, multiple intelligence, memory mechanisms, meaning-making strategies and on the nature of consciousness. And he reflects on the belief that we can do religious education better if we take cues from what we know about the God-given network between our ears. This book is unique. There are no other books on the market on the subject of religious education and the brain. Enhanced with practical charts and illustrations, and with great ecumenical appeal, it will make useful reading for religious educators, religious professionals, and teachers.

Jerry Larsen, who holds a Doctor of Religion degree from Claremont School of Theology, is Minister of Education and Ordained Elder at Los Altos United Methodist Church, Long Beach, CA.