Research Projects
University of Leeds
One of the most famous and perplexing examples of use the of metaphor in Christian scripture is the claim that Jesus is ‘the Word’ (John 1:1-14). The prologue to John’s Gospel is not only a prominent use of metaphor as a means of divine identification but has also been taken by many theologians to suggest the importance of linguistic capacity for human beings as made in the image of God. Scholarship on the nature and function of metaphor in theology flourished in the nineteen-eighties, but considered human linguistic ability in only the most abstracted and universal way. As such, this work is overdue careful reconsideration in light of recent discoveries in psychology. Neurodiversity research shows that people with autism and dyslexia understand and use metaphors in atypical ways, which can provide new, valuable insights into possible meanings of texts. This project pioneers a new, distinctive approach to both the study of metaphor in theology and the study of linguistic differences in psychology by asking what can be learnt from how dyslexic and autistic Christian's experience of biblical metaphors.
Team
University of Aberdeen
Often the meaning of a phenomenon becomes clearer when contrasted with its opposite. Our subproject contrasts the overall research on “God and Human Speech” by asking what it means to participate in a religion that is highly verbal when you have limited capacity for speech. Specifically, we will research the spiritual and religious lives of Christian non- or limited speaking autistic people (NLSAP). This will contribute to the theological discourses on language, for example, those who focus on speech-act theory. Furthermore, this study will contribute to psychology, the emerging field of Autism Theology, and other disciplines concerned with autism. It is estimated that 25-35% of autistic people are non- or limited speaking. Despite this, NLSAP make up only 2% of autistic participants in autism studies, which is likely caused by a lack of suitable research methods.
By foregrounding the perspectives of NLSAP, and identifying suitable research methods to do so, this study aims to bring new insights into theology, psychology, and wider autism studies. Moreover, by studying NLSAP’s spiritual and religious lives, the project aims to make NLSAP more central in the lives of their churches.
Team
University of Cambridge
This project will explore connections between the linguistic, theological, and ethical dimensions of classical rabbinic midrash (scriptural interpretation), on the one hand, and empirical-linguistic approaches to processes of human language comprehension and interpretation, on the other. While midrashic interpretations of scriptural language have often been characterized as surprising, creative, and unusual, we aim to explore whether these approaches to text and language may be drawing on forms of cognitive processing that in fact occur in everyday language interpretation, but which are less available to conscious awareness. We will draw upon previous empirical psychological research in the ways that adults, children, and neurodivergent individuals process language, and use this to design and carry out empirical studies of our own to assess the prevalence and properties of ‘midrash-like’ processes in human language interpretation.
Team
University of Edinburgh
Does bilingualism make any difference to an individual person’s moral reasoning? Our project explores this question in relation to an important growth area in cognitive linguistics: the moral foreign language effect (MFLE). The study of this effect has shown that a bilingual person’s moral judgments often vary according to the particular language in use. While studies of MFLE have proliferated in recent years, no study has explored the place of religion or spiritual formation in the effect. Our sub-project will break new ground on that front, and does so on the basis of a shared concern for the interaction of theology and cognitive science as beneficial to human communities.
In recent times, the new interdisciplinary field of theology and cognitive linguistics has begun to emerge. Thus far, however, that work has been predominantly led by theologians producing theoretical works in dialogue with pre-existing scholarship in cognitive linguistics. Our goal is different. We aim to expand this new field of inquiry by collaborating in order to study the ways Christians from the two main minority language groups in Scotland (Gaelic and Polish) exercise moral agency as bilinguals in a predominantly monolingual (anglophone) country. This project brings together MFLE as a growth area in cognitive science, and a distinct challenge faced by faith communities in multilingual settings (the moral formation of bilingual Christians).
Team
University of St Andrews
What we know about (1) language, (2) God, and (3) human flourishing is deeply interrelated. Our theological and moral concepts are shaped by assumptions about ‘normal’ language use, but much could be learned from language users outside of the norm – an empirical approach that we consider ala mark of science-engaged theology done well. Examples of atypical language could include bilingual speakers, non-literate societies, and persons with language disabilities. Our proposal focuses on the last of these, specifically the acquired language disorder of aphasia. To better understand this and, consequently, increase attention to quality of life and functional communication in aphasia, we propose two distinct but related sets of activities. The first aims to reach aphasia researchers and clinicians through their professional channels (journal articles and conferences); the second aims to reach general audiences through lay literature and public engagement events. The two co-investigators will work on both sets of activities, but each will have a leading role for one set.
The first will be led by Mirman, a psychologist and expert in aphasia. Aphasia research typically focuses on narrowly-defined “normal” language abilities, studied in controlled laboratory or clinical contexts, and how they are impaired in aphasia. In this project, we will instead focus on successful functional communication in aphasia; that is, strategies that people with aphasia use to communicate in real-world settings. The studies will use participatory research principles where the experiences of people with aphasia are a key form of knowledge that will define the research questions and methods.
The second set will be led by Perry, a moral theologian, who suffered a catastrophic stroke. His subsequent diagnosis of severe aphasia left him initially unable to communicate except by elementary gestures. Through years of speech and language therapy, he has recovered much—but far from all—of his previous language abilities. With the aid of a professional writer, Perry will write a science-engaged memoir, drawing on his own story, on his expertise in Christian moral theology, especially his previous work on human flourishing and science-engaged theology, and on Mirman’s aphasia studies.