Announcing the 72nd Annual Conference of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science | June 27–July 4, 20272027 Theme | Kinship and Accountability: Rethinking Animal Lives in a Human-Dominated WorldThis interdisciplinary conference will examine our profound interrelatedness with non-human animals, drawing from science, philosophy, religion, and ethics. Research in evolution, ecology, and animal cognition, exploring our deep commonalities, has fundamentally challenged the traditional distinctions separating us from animals. We must also urgently ask what it means for non-human animals to find a place — indeed, even to exist — in a world we thoroughly dominate.
The conference will explore how humans can transition from disruptors to responsible kin within the community of life that includes individual creatures, complex populations, and evolving species. We will consider both wild animals, who depend on their ecosystems for their lives and nurture, and domesticated and captive animals — livestock, laboratory mice, dogs and cats, and zoo animals — who depend on humans.
A variety of speakers will address both the ongoing devastation of ecosystems that nurture such wild animals as whales, elephants, corals, butterflies, and non-human primates and the inhumane conditions imposed on animals in captivity, and will describe hopeful programs for restoration. We will examine the philosophical and religious roots of human dominion over nature and explore the shift in our relationship with our animal brethren from one of domination to one of communion, including topics such as the evolving rights of animals and nature; new conservation and farming practices that recognize the agency and contributions of animal partners; and incorporating animal perspectives into decision-making. We will invite participants, via chapel talks and other spiritual offerings, to reimagine the human-animal relationship not as a hierarchy but as a continuum of kinship, as is the case in most indigenous, pagan, and naturalist traditions, where human dignity and well-being are measured by the flourishing of our non-human kin as well as ourselves. Conference Chairs: Erik Assadourian, Abby Fuller, Ursula Goodenough |
The Scientific Study of Human Spirituality — A 21st Century Perspective
A Discussion with Andrew Newberg, MD. Professor and Director of Research — Marcus Institute of Integrative Health — Thomas Jefferson University
Moderated by Jason D. Keune, MD September 26, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST Andrew Newberg, MD has built a distinguished career at the intersection of meditation research, spiritual experience, and the neuroscience that underpins them. In this interactive Zoom seminar, we will welcome Dr. Newberg to present findings from his William James–inspired survey of spiritual experience, which has already collected responses from more than 2,000 participants. This session will be designed for scientific engagement and discussion. We will review the survey’s motivation and methodological approach, explore what participants’ reports can reveal about the structure and phenomenology of spiritual experiences, and consider how these results may map onto—while remaining firmly grounded in—emerging neuroscientific evidence. Andrew B. Newberg, M.D., is Research Director at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital in Philadelphia. He is Professor of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, with a secondary appointment in Radiology. Board certified in Internal Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, Dr. Newberg has led pioneering neuroimaging research on aging, dementia, epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, and the neuroscience of religious and mystical experiences, a field often called neurotheology. His work also explores the mind-body connection, including meditation, acupuncture, and other integrative therapies. Dr. Newberg has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and published 17 books translated into 22 languages. His best-known books include How God Changes Your Brain, Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief, The Varieties of Spiritual Experience, Sex, God, and the Brain, and Catholic Neurotheology. He also created the 24-lecture video series The Spiritual Brain for The Teaching Company. He has been recognized as one of the "30 Most Influential Neuroscientists Alive Today" by the Online Psychology Degree Guide. An internationally sought-after speaker, Dr. Newberg has presented at scientific and religious conferences around the world. His work has been featured on Good Morning America, Nightline, 20/20, CNN, CBS News, ABC World News Tonight, StarTalk, and Dr. Oz, and in the films What the Bleep Do We Know?, Religulous, and Awake: The Life of Yogananda. His research has also been highlighted in major publications including Newsweek, Time, National Geographic, The New York Times, Forbes, and The Washington Post. |
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