The Biology of Religious Behavior: The Evolutionary Origins of Faith and Religion

The Biology of Religious Behavior: The Evolutionary Origins of Faith and Religion Book Description

Over the past ten or so years there has been much interest in the study of religion from the perspective of Darwinian evolution. "The Biology of Religious Behavior" offers a broad overview of the topic of the evolution of religion, written by internationally recognized experts. Yet, the other very interesting aspects of religion-such as religious values, beliefs, moods and feelings-are not overlooked.

This book elucidates some of the unknown, bio-behavioral aspects of religions in general and religious behaviors in

particular. It shows that at the biological and behavioral level, what unites the different religions of the world is far greater than what divides them. This endeavor into understanding religion in general and religious behavior in particular from a bio-behavioral perspective broadens our understanding of religion and helps bridge the religious divide. The world is dangerously divided on the basis of religion and neither religion nor science can solve this problem alone, but the contributors to this multi-disciplinary work make an important contribution towards this effort.

"The Biology of Religious Behavior" approaches the evolution of religion by examining the behavior of individuals in their everyday lives. Using this approach, religious beliefs, values, moods, and feelings become contributing causes of religious behavior. Understanding how religion evolved in the context of lived experiences is key to bridging the gaps between various faiths. After a description of religious behaviors, the authors here consider the behavior's evolutionary history, the development of those behaviors during the lifetime of the individual, the likely causes of the behaviors, and whether or not the behaviors have adaptiveness or are adaptations themselves. These questions are important because understanding how adapted behaviors increase one's relative reproductive success in a particular environment is key to understanding how religion could have evolved and spread.

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