Supernatural Selection : How Religion Evolved


Cover of the book Supernatural Selection : How Religion Evolved by Matt Rossano, Oxford University Press, USA
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Matt Rossano ISBN: 9780195385816
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Publication: May 28, 2010
Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA Language: English
Author: Matt Rossano
ISBN: 9780195385816
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication: May 28, 2010
Imprint: Oxford University Press, USA
Language: English
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.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
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.

More books from Oxford University Press, USA

Cover of the book Visions of Jazz : The First Century by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Hi-De-Ho : The Life Of Cab Calloway by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book The Founding Fathers Reconsidered by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Ignorance:How It Drives Science by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Hi-de-ho:The Life of Cab Calloway by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book George W. Bush and the Redemptive Dream:A Psychological Portrait by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Burdened Virtues : Virtue Ethics for Liberatory Struggles by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Among the Creationists:Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Jefferson Davis's Generals by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Saint Augustine of Hippo: An Intellectual Biography by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Nixon in the World : American Foreign Relations 1969-1977 by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book The Ponzi Scheme Puzzle:A History and Analysis of Con Artists and Victims by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book Flawed Advice and the Management Trap:How Managers Can Know When They're Getting Good Advice and When They're Not by Matt Rossano
Cover of the book A Dictionary of Epidemiology by Matt Rossano
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy