Kate Finley (Philosophy)
The Relationship Between Mental Disorder & Religion

Mental disorders (like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression) can challenge our ability to trust our perceptions, thoughts, and emotions through symptoms (like hallucinations, delusions, and mood swings) that are often devastating but also sometimes fascinating and transformative. Mental disorder has played a large role in the lives of many of my loved ones as well as in my own life and faith. It has also intrigued me as a philosopher because of its relevance for many topics in the philosophy of cognitive science and philosophy of religion. I will talk about my recent work, including three empirical studies, investigating the ways in which people experience the relationship between their mental disorder and religious and/or spiritual life and the implications this has for how we understand ourselves, our relationship with others, and with God.


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