What’s Culture, Uncurled?
Welcome to Culture, Uncurled. This newsletter covers what science tells us about culture and psychology — that is, about human nature — and the implications these findings have for faith, meaning, and our postmodern society. My aim will be to help us better understand why contemporary liberal societies are such challenging places to live, psychologically and spiritually, what this has to do with religion and faith, and what we ought to do about it.
About the writer
I (Connor) am an evolutionary social scientist by training — my PhD focused on the empirical psychology and anthropology of ritual — but I’m also an adult convert to sacramental Christianity. I’ve spent the past decade exploring religion and culture from both the inside and outside. For most of that decade, I blogged at Patheos, where I covered research bearing on religion, psychology, culture and — increasingly — social and political issues. I’m writing this newsletter because I think today’s human sciences — psychology, cognitive science, comparative anthropology, and others — are producing findings that profoundly challenge liberal-modern conceptions of human nature.
Who should read this Substack?
I’m writing for the widest possible readership. However, I’m especially interested in reaching three groups. The first is intellectual Christians of any variety who are dissatisfied both with shallow American religion and with the utopian excesses of 21st-century secularism, and who would appreciate objective insights into what makes individuals and religious communities tick. The second is skeptical social thinkers with an engineer’s disposition — people who crave clear definitions and crisp causal analysis, who like to see social problems and solutions laid out schematically, regardless of their ideology or beliefs. And the third is literate readers of all stripes who feel that something isn’t quite right with our (post)modern world, who crave something that better matches our human nature but aren’t sure where to look, or even whether such a thing is possible.
Stay up-to-date
Join the crew
Be part of a community of people who share your interests.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
