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Oxford University Press, USA
Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved
Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved
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In 2006, scientist Richard Dawkins published a blockbuster bestseller, The God Delusion. This atheist manifesto sparked a furious reaction from believers, who have responded with numerous books of their own. By pitting science against religion, however, this debate overlooks what science can
tell us about religion. According to evolutionary psychologist Matt J. Rossano, what science reveals is that religion made us human. In Supernatural Selection, Rossano presents an evolutionary history of religion. Neither an apologist for religion nor a religion-basher, he draws together evidence from a wide range of disciplines to show the valuable--even essential--adaptive purpose served by systematic belief in the
supernatural. The roots of religion stretch as far back as half a million years, when our ancestors developed the motor control to engage in social rituals--that is, to sing and dance together. Then, about 70,000 years ago, a global ecological crisis drove humanity to the edge of extinction. It
forced the survivors to create new strategies for survival, and religious rituals were foremost among them. Fundamentally, Rossano writes, religion is a way for humans to relate to each other and the world around them--and, in the grim struggles of prehistory, it offered significant survival and
reproductive advantages. It emerged as our ancestors' first health care system, and a critical part of that health care system was social support. Religious groups tended to be far more cohesive, which gave them a competitive advantage over non-religious groups, and enabled them to conquer the
globe. Rather than focusing on one aspect of religion, as many theorists do, Rossano offers an all-encompassing approach that is rich with surprises, insights, and provocative conclusions.
Author: Matt Rossano
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 05/28/2010
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.00w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780195385816
Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/17/2010 pg. 44
Library Journal 07/01/2010 pg. 86
tell us about religion. According to evolutionary psychologist Matt J. Rossano, what science reveals is that religion made us human. In Supernatural Selection, Rossano presents an evolutionary history of religion. Neither an apologist for religion nor a religion-basher, he draws together evidence from a wide range of disciplines to show the valuable--even essential--adaptive purpose served by systematic belief in the
supernatural. The roots of religion stretch as far back as half a million years, when our ancestors developed the motor control to engage in social rituals--that is, to sing and dance together. Then, about 70,000 years ago, a global ecological crisis drove humanity to the edge of extinction. It
forced the survivors to create new strategies for survival, and religious rituals were foremost among them. Fundamentally, Rossano writes, religion is a way for humans to relate to each other and the world around them--and, in the grim struggles of prehistory, it offered significant survival and
reproductive advantages. It emerged as our ancestors' first health care system, and a critical part of that health care system was social support. Religious groups tended to be far more cohesive, which gave them a competitive advantage over non-religious groups, and enabled them to conquer the
globe. Rather than focusing on one aspect of religion, as many theorists do, Rossano offers an all-encompassing approach that is rich with surprises, insights, and provocative conclusions.
Author: Matt Rossano
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 05/28/2010
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.00w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780195385816
Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/17/2010 pg. 44
Library Journal 07/01/2010 pg. 86
About the Author
Matt Rossano is head of the Psychology Department at Southeastern Louisiana University. He is the author of Evolutionary Psychology: The Science of Human Behavior and Evolution.
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