Project description
Going above and beyond our notions of the divine from a scientific perspective
Transcendence is a central concept of theology and philosophy, suggesting that God or divine beings are above and beyond us and the natural world. Investigations of transcendence have historically been speculative and theoretical reflections. The field called the cognitive science of religion (CSR) applies cognitive science theories to the study of religious thought and behaviour. It has the potential to enhance our theological understanding, even if it cannot answer the question of the existence of a divine reality. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the Transcendence project is using the CSR lens to investigate the prevalent human belief in transcendence and the importance of transcendence for human beings.
Objective
Transcendence is one of the fundamentals of philosophy and theology. For centuries its investigation as a non-material phenomenon was an exclusive subject of speculative and theoretical reflections. Today, such phenomena have become the subjects of scientific empirical research with results that challenge traditional understanding. Because of the fundamental role of transcendence in philosophy and theology, it is urgent to ask whether it too is affected by scientific investigation. A scientific discipline which is able to contribute to this question is the Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) because it employs the concept of ‘supernatural’ which is very close to the concept of transcendence. CSR has produced considerable results which have a high potential to call into question traditional models of transcendence. And yet, it is rarely taken into account particularly by theology. There are only very few works which try to understand CSR’s impact, especially on classical theism. But they focus on CSR’s methodology and methodological transgressions and do not ask what impact CSR’s legitimate research may have on theological and philosophical topics. Although it is clear that scientific research cannot contribute to the question of the existence of a transcendent or divine reality, CSR’s models do have the potential to modify our understanding of the immanent side of transcendence: the prevalent human belief in transcendence (natural theology) and the importance of transcendence for being human. This project will be an essential contribution to connect science and the humanities. It employs an experimental and innovative approach: It does not reject CSR on the basis of its transgressions but aims to take seriously its legitimate results and to answer the resulting questions. It will consider the chances of CSR for an enhanced theological understanding. And it will connect CSR's challenges with traditional models in order to find new perspectives and answers.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences psychology cognitive psychology
- humanities philosophy, ethics and religion religions
- humanities philosophy, ethics and religion philosophy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.