The Biology of Religious Behavior: The Evolutionary Origins of Faith and Religion (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780313364303)

Offers a fresh and detailed take on the evolution of religious behavior from a biobehavioral perspective, promoting a new understanding that may help build bridges across the religious divide.

There has been much recent interest in the study of religion from the perspective of Darwinian evolution. The Biology of Religious Behavior: The Evolutionary Origins of Faith and Religion offers a broad overview of the topic, written by internationally recognized experts. In addition to its primary focus on religious behavior, the book addresses other important aspects of religion, such as values, beliefs, and emotions as they affect behavior.

The contributors approach the evolution of religion by examining the behavior of individuals in their everyday lives. After describing various religious behaviors, the contributors consider the behaviors with reference to their evolutionary history, development during the lifetime of the individual, proximate causes, and adaptive value. Happily, this foray into understanding religion from a biobehavioral perspective demonstrates that, at the biological and behavioral levels, what unites the different religions of the world is far greater than what divides them.

Author: Jay R. Feierman
ISBN-10: 0313364303
ISBN-13: 9780313364303
Publisher: Praeger
Language: English
Published: 06/01/2009
Pages: 324
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.42lbs
Size: 9.26h x 6.48w x 1.13d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 01/01/2010
Reference and Research Bk News 08/01/2009 pg. 10