Psychological Science and Religious Education in a Devout University: The Case of Pain Overlap Theory and the Talmud

Abstract

Educators employed in devoutly religious institutions often teach students who view even their secular higher education through a uniquely religious lens. Based on his own experiences teaching psychological science at a Jewish university, the author suggests enhancing student interest and enthusiasm by wedding secular curricula with religious education, where feasible. By way of illustration, the current article shows how a cutting edge area of brain research could be taught in the context of ancient and medieval Jewish sources. This example is especially appropriate, given the recent special interest among leaders in the field of religious education in the potential relationships between their own discipline and the field of neuroscience, as well as the fact that the literatures of the histories of neuroscience and related disciplines have long noted the relevance of Jewish religious sources.

Notes

Stein's work is part of a larger series of articles published by the British Journal of Psychiatry under the rubric of “Psychiatry in the Old Testament.”

It is noteworthy that Christian sources have also been explored in the context of posttraumatic stress, see McGrath (2006).

See Altschuler (2004) for discussion of epilepsy and the books of the Pentateuch. Also, New Testament sources have been similarly examined. Landsborough (1987) argues that Paul's ecstatic visions, as well as his physical state upon his conversion, are consistent with temporal lobe epilepsy. Ross (1978) finds evidence of epilepsy in the books of Mark, Matthew, and Luke. It has also been suggested that Joan of Arc, a Roman Catholic saint, suffered from epilepsy (Foote‐Smith and Bayne 1991).

For detailed reviews of research studies in this area, see Eisenberger (2012a; 2012b; 2012c).

See Lamm, Decety, and Singer (2011) for a meta-analytic review of 32 functional magnetic resonance imaging scans investigating empathy for pain, as well as Decety (2011).

See Inagaki and Eisenberger (2013) for cutting-edge complementary research extending this category of finding beyond various forms of pain. These investigators found that common neural mechanisms underlie the processing of both warm social interactions and the experience of physical warmth.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eliezer Schnall

Eliezer Schnall is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology and Adjunct Associate Professor of Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University in New York City. E-mail: [email protected]