Why Religions Matter

John Bowker demonstrates why we need to examine both negative and positive aspects of religion to understand religion in the modern world.

Religions divide opinions. Some say religions are obsolete, irrational and dangerous. Others point to the great achievements of religions in advancing our exploration of the cosmos and of human nature. There is truth in both perspectives, and John Bowker draws on many disciplines in the sciences and humanities to show what religions are and why they matter.What are religions? Why is it important to understand them? One answer is that religions and religious believers are extremely bad news: they are deeply involved in conflicts around the globe; they harm people of whom they disapprove; and they often seem irrational. Another answer claims that they are in fact extremely good news: religious beliefs and practices are universal and so fundamental in human nature that they have led us to great discoveries in our explorations of the cosmos and of who we are. The sciences began as part of that religious exploration. John Bowker demonstrates that there is truth in both answers and that we need both to understand what religion is and why it matters. He draws on many disciplines - from physics, genetics and the neurosciences to art, anthropology and the history of religions - to show how they shed entirely new light on religion in the modern world.