For millennia humanity has looked to nature with hopes that it would reveal traces of the author of the universe. While in the past this search has focused largely on the non-human elements of creation, recent scientific advances have made possible an exploration of the inner workings of the human brain. Can an examination of the human brain provide any information of what lies beyond science? This dissertation analyzes the most current neuroscientific research programs studying religious experiences and evaluates them under the lens of natural theology.

Chapter One introduces the concepts of natural theology and theology of nature and attempts to set these terms in historical and biblical perspective. It then suggests that misunderstandings of the Christian concept of divine action have led to caricatured views by those in the scientific community with atheistic agendas. A proposal is made that certain theological positions may help resolve some perceived weaknesses of Christian doctrine.

Chapters Two and Three are an analysis of the research programs of Eugene d'Aquili and Andrew Newberg and of Michael Persinger. The former focus their research on finding a correlation between brain states and the religious experiences of practitioners of meditation. Are the experiences of these practitioners “real” and can they be used as evidence for the existence of God? Persinger believes that there is a central connection between religious experience and activity within the temporal lobe of the brain. Chapter Three will evaluate Persinger's claim that the discovery of neural mechanisms underlying religious experience shows that the experiences are illusory.

Chapter Four is a philosophical and theological analysis of the models presented in the previous chapters. It suggests that metaphysical suppositions often influence the metaphysical conclusions made by neuroscientific researchers. Also proposed is that scientific explanations need not compete with personal or theological explanations. Finally, is a discussion of the idea that the human brain and the human person are uniquely positioned to engage in religious experience.

Chapter Five is a synopsis of the conclusions made in this dissertation. It suggests approaches that may prove fruitful for future dialogue between Christian theology and the neurosciences.