Full Description
This book provides a general introduction to the biological and evolutionary bases of religion and is suitable for introductory level courses in the anthropology and psychology of religion and comparative religion.
Why did human ancestors everywhere adopt religious beliefs and customs? The presence and persistence of many religious features across the globe and time suggests that it is natural for humans to believe in the supernatural. In this new text, the authors explore both the biological and cultural dimensions of religion and the evolutionary origins of religious features.
Contents
Introduction Religion's Family Resemblances Religion, Spirituality, and Religiosity Overview of Book Chapter 1: Anthropology and the Study of Religion Introduction to the Anthropological Study of Religion Western Perspectives on ReligionThe Development of Anthropological Approaches to Religion The Four-Field Approach of Anthropology Conclusion: The Biocultural Approach to the Study of Religiosity Chapter 2: Our World and How We Know It Introduction Science, Religion, and the Universe Mysticism as Science Conclusions: Comparing Science and Religion Chapter 3: Consciousness and Spiritual Experiences Opening vignette: Visionary Spiritual Experiences and the Origins of Major Religious Traditions IntroductionWhat is Consciousness? The Biological Bases of Spiritual Consciousness: The Integrative Mode of Consciousness Origins of Religious Experiences: Natural Induction of the Integrative Mode of Consciousness Adaptive Aspects of the Integrative Mode of Consciousness Conclusion: Religious Experience as Personal Experience of Biology Appendix: Assessing Mystical Experiences/Hood's Mysticism Scale Chapter 4: Animal Rituals and the Roots of Religiosity Introduction: Ritual in the Animal World What are Rituals? The Triune Brain and Ritual Behavior Animal Rituals The Evolution of Ritual Behaviors Conclusions: The Animal Roots of Human Ritual Activity Chapter 5: The Origins of Shamanism and the Flowering of Religiosity Introduction: Evidence for the Emergence of New Forms of Ritual What are Shamans? The Evolutionary Origins of Spiritual Experiences Psilocybin-Containing Mushrooms as Sources of Spiritual Experiences The Middle/Upper Paleolithic Transition and Human Cultural Evolution Human Cognitive Evolution: The Emergence of Specialized Intelligences"Complex Hunter-Gatherer Type Religions": The Rise of Ancestor Cults and PriestsConclusions Chapter 6: Origin.../part contents
