The Experimental Theological Aesthetics (XTA) Symposium
This event focuses on the experimental study of theological aesthetics, with emphasis on architecture and sacred space. Scholars and professionals from architecture, theology, neuroscience, and related fields will consider how built form mediates spiritual experience and religious teaching —and how claims can be examined through empirical methods. Participation is free.
Since prehistory, humans have used beauty—through artifacts, ritual, and architecture—to bring spiritual teachings to life and make the presence of the divine tangible. For centuries, theological aesthetics has offered compelling theories about how and why this happens. What’s been missing is the ability to test these claims empirically.
That moment has arrived!
Thanks to recent advances in neuroscience, psychology, architecture, AI, and artistic technologies, we can now explore sacred experience in new and measurable ways. This exciting development has given rise to a groundbreaking interdisciplinary field: Experimental Theological Aesthetics (XTA). XTA investigates how aesthetic experiences—of beauty, space, and art—shape our understanding of, and relationship to, the divine. It brings together scientific methods and theological insight to test long-standing assumptions and generate new kinds of spiritually rich experiences. Inspired by the movement of Experimental Philosophy, XTA shifts theological aesthetics from speculation to empirical engagement.
