The Attraction of Religion

The Attraction of Religion daringly succeeds in presenting a scientific framework that will serve as a secure starting point and a useful reference for future, in-depth inquiries. * Science, Religion & Culture *
Slone and Van Slyke have put together a treasure-trove, a much needed compendium that is not only a valuable source book for some of the most cogent hypotheses for the biological evolution of religion, but also the first coherent attempt to empirically assess the legitimacy of each. The Attraction of Religion delivers on its promise, and part of its attraction to serious researchers is that it marks the beginning of serious inquiry into an important human trait, bespeaking the degree to which even something so delicate and culture-bound as religion is also susceptible to the long reach of natural selection. An admirable and noteworthy achievement! -- David Barash, Professor of Psychology, University of Washington, USA and author of 'Buddhist Biology: Ancient Eastern Wisdom meets Modern Western Science' (2013)
The Attraction of Religion, edited by D. Jason Slone and James A. Van Slyke, offers an exciting set of intellectual perspectives on the origins and nature of religion - a human universal that seems deeply embedded in who we are. Humans across the globe - and across recorded history - have practiced various forms of religion. And the evolutionary perspective on the human mind is poised to shed light on questions of why. Why do people practice religion? Why do religious practices vary in so many ways from one another? What are core features that are shared across religious practices? How does religious practice betray details of our evolutionary roots? With a set of contributors who comprise some of the top voices on the topic of evolutionary psychology, such as Craig Palmer and Todd Shackelford, writing on topics such as the interface of sexual selection and religiosity, this volume is sure to generate new understanding regarding the nature of the church-going ape. -- Glenn Geher, Director of Evolutionary Studies, Chair and Professor of Psychology, State University of New York at New Paltz, USA