IBCSR: The Institute for the Bio-Cultural Study of Religion (2015)

A 52-minute documentary about the Institute for the Bio-Cultural Study of Religion in Boston Massachusetts, where the scholars are neuroscientists, computer programmers, evolutionary biologists, cognitive psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists--who work alongside philosophers, ethicists, theologians, historians and linguists. The scientific study of religion is explored through scenes in research labs, interviews with research scientists, explorations of the Boston University campus and surrounding city, and glimpses into religious communities in various locations. Overviews of projects within the Institute are woven with a general discussion about how scientists explore, understand, and explain religious communities and behavior. What are the sensitivities of interdisciplinary research; the complexity of "religion" as a study object; dialogues between religion and science; the limits of science; and the value of scientific approaches to religion.