Cognitive science of religion
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how religious ideas are widespread across cultures and times and explain why the human mind may be likely to accept them.
Key learning points
- Psychologists study the mind and behaviours.
- Religious ideas are widespread across cultures and times.
- The human mind seems to be programmed to accept religious ideas.
- Evolution may have played a part in this programming.
Keywords
Psychology - the scientific study of the mind and behaviour
Agent detection - when an animal or human assumes another being is causing a natural event
Cognitive science - the scientific study of how the mind works, functions and behaves
Supernatural - something that exists beyond the laws of nature
Superstition - a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences such as good and bad luck being caused by behaviours
Common misconception
That psychological explanations for religion mean there is no "God" or a Higher Power.
Psychological explanations can support faith as they can show how "God" or a Higher Power has designed the brain to believe.
Teacher tip
Examples can be given from a wider range of cultures to show how common religous ideas are across history and geography.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which term means 'facts or information that support an idea'?
Q2.Which term is used in religious education to refer to a person's way of understanding, experiencing and responding to the world?
Q3.Which term means an acceptance that something is true without needing to have proof?
Q4.Which prophet was the Torah given to?
Q5.Which part of the human body is in charge of processing information and thoughts?
Q6.Which term describes the process by which living things develop and change over time and generations?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Put these events into the correct historical order.
Q2.Which statement is the most accurate?
Q3.Which term is a social science which studies the mind?
Q4.When we think there is a being that has caused an event to happen it can be known as agent ...
Q5.Which term means a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences such as good and bad luck being caused by behaviours?
Q6.Which statements could describe how evolution could link to religious ideas?
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Cognitive science of religion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 religious education lesson on: Cognitive science of religion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Psychology: is our brain designed to believe? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.