Michael E. McCullough

Michael E. McCullough uses the conceptual tools of evolutionary biology to shed light on the evolution and operation of human moral sentiments such as forgiveness and revenge—and to uncover new secrets about how to improve the quality of human life and human interaction today. He puts this approach to work in his newest book, Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct (Jossey-Bass, 2008), which is his first book for a general audience (www.beyondrevengebook.com).

McCullough also does research on several aspects of religion, including work on how humans’ religious inclinations evolved, how they develop over the life course, and their links to health, well-being, and social behavior. His research has been covered in the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and many other outlets. McCullough is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, where he directs The Laboratory for Social and Clinical Psychology.