An Introduction to Catholic Neurotheology

The multidisciplinary field of neurotheology explores the intersection between neuroscience and religious and spiritual phenomena. This article reviews three key themes of neurotheology from a Catholic perspective. First, it is argued that neurotheology shows that neuroscience and Catholic theology can each contribute meaningfully to dialogue. Second, methods for research in theology and science are shown to be dissimilar: Faith-based theology is grounded in revelation and interpreted heuristically, which contrasts with rational results derived from the scientific method using empirical hypothesis testing. Finally, the soul and faith are presented from a Catholic theological perspective. The Catholic Church encourages dialogical study of science and theology for mutual enrichment of the two fields and for pastoral benefit.