# Jonathan Lanman
**Source**: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/
**Parent**: https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/anthropology-sociology-ba/
[View Scopus Profile](https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23667763500)
# Jonathan Lanman
Professor
- Professor, [School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/organisations/school-of-history-anthropology-philosophy-and-politics/)
- [Anthropology and Ethnomusicology](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/organisations/anthropology-and-ethnomusicology/)
- [The Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/organisations/the-institute-for-global-peace-security-and-justice/)
[https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4691-5922](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4691-5922 "Orcid")
- Email[j.lanman@qub.ac.uk](#)
- Room 02.005 - 27 University Square
United Kingdom
Accepting PhD Students
PhD projects
I am open to PhD applications in the fields of:\
- Cognitive Anthropology of Religion and Ritual\
- Cognitive Anthropology of Atheism
2007Research output 2007: 2Research output 2008: 4Research output 2011: 1Projects 2012: 2Research output 2012: 2Research output 2013: 2Projects 2014: 1Research output 2014: 1Research output 2015: 1Projects 2016: 1Research output 2016: 4Projects 2017: 2Research output 2017: 5Research output 2018: 1Research output 2019: 5Research output 2020: 1Projects 2021: 1Research output 2021: 2Research output 2022: 4Research output 2023: 1Research output 2025: 8Research output 2026: 12026
Research activity per year
## Personal profile
### Research Statement
Assistant Director, Institute of Cognition and Culture
DPhil, MSc (Oxford), MA (Missouri), BA (Southeast Missouri State)
Professor Lanman joined the School in 2012, after working as a Departmental Lecturer (2009-2011) and Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2011-2012) in Anthropology at the University of Oxford and a Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychology at The University of British Columbia.
### Research Interests
Professor Lanman's research addresses two main areas in the scientific study of religion. Across both areas, he aims to integrate theories and methodologies from the social, cognitive, and evolutionary sciences with ethnographic and historical research. While his geographic area of interest is international, his work has focused on the North Atlantic world and, more recently, Japan.
***1) Atheism & Secularization***
His work on atheism and secularization aims to provide an account of why some individuals become theists and others become non-theists, why some nations have much higher proportions of non-theists than others, and why some non-theists engage in anti-religious social action. This research engages literature on cognitive biases, existential security, hypocrisy, threat detection, coalitionary psychology, and moral psychology and focuses on the United States, United Kingdom, China, and Japan.
In collaboration with Lois Lee (UCL), Stephen Bullivant (St. Mary's), and Miguel Farias (Coventry), he served as a PI on a John Templeton Funded grant entitled "Understanding Unbelief" (£2.3m, 2017-2020), a large, international, and interdisciplinary programme of research on unbelief around the world. [understanding-unbelief.net](https://research.kent.ac.uk/understandingunbelief/ "https://research.kent.ac.uk/understandingunbelief/")
He is currently Programme Lead on the follow up programme Explaining Atheism, which aims to put to the test dozens of popular and academic theories about why some individuals are atheists and why some countries have higher percentages of atheists than others. <https://www.explainingatheism.org/>
***2) Religious Identity, Ritual, and Self-Sacrifice***
Professor Lanman's collaborative work on religious identity, ritual, and self-sacrifice aims to provide an account of the nature and catalysts of religious cohesion and the relative contributions of belief, ritual, values, and identity in explaining individual willingness to die for a religious group. This research engages literature on belief, ritual, memory, identity fusion, psychological kinship, sacred values, and martyrdom and is international with a focus on the United States and Europe.
In collaboration with Harvey Whitehouse (Oxford), William Swann (Texas), Michael Buhrmester (Oxford/Texas), and others, he has contributed to this research as part of a £3.2m project funded by the ESRC entitled Ritual, Community, and Conflict (2011-2017).
For further detail of Professor Lanman's research, see his interview in the *New Science of Religion* series.
<https://youtu.be/4XnCnK7kdf8>
### Other
#### **Websites**
<https://qub.academia.edu/JonathanLanman>
<https://www.explainingatheism.org/>
<https://research.kent.ac.uk/understandingunbelief/>
**Other Online Media**
- [Non-religion and Secularity Research Network (NSRN) blog post. "A Cognitive Perspective Helps Make the Scientific Study of Atheism Possible."](https://thensrn.org/2016/03/23/a-cognitive-perspective-helps-make-the-scientific-study-of-atheism-possible/)
- *British Humanist Association & Centre for Inquiry:*"Atheism: The View from Cognitive Science." Lecture given at Conway Hall in 2014.<https://youtu.be/YSZCnNjqkEY>
- *The Religious Studies Project:*'Practice What You Preach: CREDs & CRUDs' <http://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/podcast/practice-what-you-preach-creds-and-cruds/>
- *The Religious Studies Project:*‘Atheism Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Atheistic Thought." <http://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/lanman/>
## Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics where Jonathan Lanman is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
- [2](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/similar/)
Similar Profiles
- Groups
Psychology
- Religious Belief
Psychology
- Belief
Social Sciences
- Religiosity
Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Psychology
- Religions
Social Sciences
- UK
Social Sciences
- China
Social Sciences
[View full fingerprint](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/fingerprints/)
## Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or Select a country/territory from the list\
# Dive into details
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[Explore network further](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/network/)
## Projects
- [6](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/projects/?status=FINISHED)
Finished
- ### [R8518HAP: Explaining Atheism: The Causal Origins of Individual and Societal Non-belief](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/projects/explaining-atheism/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (PI)
01/11/2021 → 23/10/2024
Project: Research
- ### [R8418HAP: Understanding Unbelief](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/projects/understanding-unbelief/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (PI)
25/05/2017 → 30/09/2019
Project: Research
- ### [R1733HAP: Jonatham Lanam Teaching BO](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/projects/esrcres060250085/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (PI)
06/03/2017 → 31/05/2017
Project: Research
- ### [R8408HAP: Scientific Study of Non-Religious Belief](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/projects/john-templeton-foundation-59544-ucl-led/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (PI)
15/12/2016 → 31/12/2016
Project: Research
- ### [R8343HIS: The Emergence of Prosocial Religions](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/projects/jtf-40603-emergence-of-prosocial-religions/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (PI)
31/07/2014 → 30/09/2015
Project: Research
[View all 7 projects](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/projects/)
## Research output
- [13](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontojournal%2Farticle)
Article
- [10](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontobookanthology%2Fchapter)
Chapter
- [9](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontojournal%2Fcomment)
Comment/debate
- [2](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontoperiodical%2Ffeatured)
Featured article
- 7
More
- [**2** Other contribution](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fothercontribution%2Fother)
- [**1** Other report](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fbookanthology%2Fother)
- [**1** Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontobookanthology%2Fentry)
- [**1** Other chapter contribution](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontobookanthology%2Fother)
- [**1** Chapter (peer-reviewed)](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontobookanthology%2Fpeerreviewedchapter)
- [**1** Book/Film/Article review](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontojournal%2Fbook)
- [**1** Letter](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Fresearchoutput%2Fresearchoutputtypes%2Fcontributiontojournal%2Fletter)
- ### [Anthropological perspectives on attributing beliefs cross-culturally](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/anthropological-perspectives-on-attributing-beliefs-cross-cultura/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/), 11 Feb 2026, (Accepted) *The Oxford handbook of the cognitive science of belief.* Van Leeuwen, N. & Lombrozo, T. (eds.). [Oxford University Press](#)
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
- Anthropologists
- Cognitive Science
- Cultural Diversity
- Social Anthropology
- Cultural Background
- ### [Atheism and agnosticism in twenty-first-century China](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/atheism-and-agnosticism-in-twenty-first-century-china/)
Hornbeck, R. G., [Lanman, J. A.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/), Baimel , A. & Lee, L., 03 Oct 2025, (Accepted) In: [Sociology of Religion.](#)
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 21C
- Agnosticism
- China
- 21st century
- Engage-ment
- ### [Belief in belief: even atheists in secular countries show intuitive preferences favoring religious belief](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/belief-in-belief-even-atheists-in-secular-countries-show-intuitiv/)
Gervais, W. M., McKay, R. T., Brown-Iannuzzi, J. L., Ross, R. M., Pennycook, G., Jong, J. & [Lanman, J. A.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/), 01 Apr 2025, In: [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.](#) 122, 13, e2404720122.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
File
- Religious Belief
- Religiosity
- Individual Differences
[6](https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105002328802#tab=citedBy)
Citations
(Scopus)
87
Downloads
(Pure)
- ### [Beliefs: Defined](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/beliefs-defined/)
[Lanman, J. A.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/), 28 May 2025, *Encyclopedia of religious psychology and behavior.* Shackelford, T. K. (ed.). Cham: [Springer Nature Switzerland](#), p. 1-4 4 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
- ### [Credibility Enhancing Displays (CREDs) theory](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/credibility-enhancing-displays-creds-theory/)
[Lanman, J. A.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/), 28 May 2025, *Encyclopedia of religious psychology and behavior.* Shackelford, T. K. (ed.). Cham: [Springer Nature Switzerland](#), p. 1-3 3 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary
[View all 45 research outputs](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/publications/)
## Prizes
- ### [Distinguished Fellow (Aarhus University; Religion, Cognition, and Culture Unit)](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/prizes/distinguished-fellow-aarhus-university-religion-cognition-and-cul/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Other distinction
- Universities
- Religions
- Cognition
- Culture
- ### [Junior Scholar Grant: Nontheism in Scandinavia](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/prizes/junior-scholar-grant-nontheism-in-scandinavia/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Recipient), 2008
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
- Scandinavia
- Fieldwork
- Award
- Grant
- Denmark
- ### [Peter Lienhardt Memorial Grant](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/prizes/peter-lienhardt-memorial-grant/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Recipient), 2008
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
- Graduate Student
- ### [President, International Association for the Cognitive and Evolutionary Sciences of Religion](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/prizes/president-international-association-for-the-cognitive-and-evoluti/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Election to learned society
- Associations
- President
- Religions
- Science
- Cognitive
- ### [Secretary General, International Association for the Cognitive Science of Religion](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/prizes/secretary-general-international-association-for-the-cognitive-sci/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Recipient), Aug 2018
Prize: Election to learned society
- Associations
- Religions
- Cognitive Science
[View all 6 prizes](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/prizes/)
## Activities
- [30](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Feditorialwork%2Fpublicationpeerreview)
Publication peer-review
- [20](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Ftalk%2Finvited_talk)
Invited talk
- [16](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Ftalk%2Foral_presentation)
Oral presentation
- [5](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fmembership%2Fcommittee)
Membership of peer review panel or committee
- 31
More
- [**5** Participation in workshop, seminar, course](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fattendance%2Fworkshopseminarcourseparticipation)
- [**5** Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Ftalk%2Finvited_or_keynote_talk_at_national_or_international_conference)
- [**5** Public lecture/debate/seminar](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Ftalk%2Fpublic_lecture_debate_seminar)
- [**3** Participation in conference](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fattendance%2Fconferenceparticipation)
- [**3** Other](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fotheractivity%2Fother_activity)
- [**2** Participation in Festival/Exhibition](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fattendance%2Fparticipation_in_festival_exhibition)
- [**2** PhD external examination](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fexamination%2Fexamination)
- [**2** Other examination](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fexamination%2Fother_examination)
- [**2** Hosting an academic visitor](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fhostvisitor%2Fhostvisitor)
- [**1** Work on advisory panel to industry or government or non-government organisation](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fconsultancy%2Fwork_on_advisory_panel_to_industry_or_government_or_non_government_organisation_)
- [**1** Work on advisory panels for social community and cultural engagement](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fconsultancy%2Fwork_on_advisory_panels_for_social_community_and_cultural_engagement)
- [**1** Editorial activity](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Feditorialwork%2Feditorial)
- [**1** UG external examination](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fexamination%2Fug_external_examination)
- [**1** Membership of board](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/?type=%2Fdk%2Fatira%2Fpure%2Factivity%2Factivitytypes%2Fmembership%2Fboard)
- ### [Journal of Cognition and Culture (Journal)](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/activities/journal-of-cognition-and-culture-journal-8/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Editor-in-chief)
01 Jan 2026 → …
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial activity
- ### [Tenure Review](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/activities/tenure-review/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Examiner)
2026
Activity: Examination types › Other examination
- ### [Offer Holder Day Anthropology, QUB](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/activities/offer-holder-day-anthropology-qub/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Speaker)
2026
Activity: Other activity types › Other
- ### [Cognitive Science and the Naturalisation of Anthropological Categories](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/activities/cognitive-science-and-the-naturalisation-of-anthropological-categ/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Speaker)
02 Oct 2025
Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
- ### [QUB Open Day, Anthropology Recruitment](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/activities/qub-open-day-anthropology-recruitment/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Speaker)
06 Sept 2025
Activity: Other activity types › Other
[View all 113 activities](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/activities/)
## Press/Media
- ### [Advent of 'atheist age' as parents fail to keep the faith](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/clippings/advent-of-atheist-age-as-parents-fail-to-keep-the-faith/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/)
04/10/2024
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
- ### [UK has more atheists than people who believe in God, new research claims](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/clippings/uk-has-more-atheists-than-people-who-believe-in-god-new-research-/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/)
02/10/2024
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
- ### [More atheists than believers in the UK now, according to QUB report](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/clippings/more-atheists-than-believers-in-the-uk-now-according-to-qub-repor/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/)
01/10/2024
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
- ### [How to Make Someone Believe in God (According to Science)](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/clippings/how-to-make-someone-believe-in-god-according-to-science/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/)
27/01/2023
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
- ### [BBC Radio Ulster: Explaining Atheism](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/clippings/bbc-radio-ulster-explaining-atheism/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/)
23/10/2022
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
[View all 24 press/media](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/clippings/)
## Impacts
- ### [Correcting stereotypes about atheists and agnostics in schools](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/impacts/correcting-stereotypes-about-atheists-and-agnostics-in-schools/)
[Lanman, J.](https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/persons/jonathan-lanman/) (Participant)
Impact: Societial Impact