Evolving God: A Provocative View on the Origins of Religion Hardcover
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*Evolving God* by Barbara J. King is a groundbreaking exploration of the origins of religion, blending insights from evolutionary biology, anthropology, and primate behavior to offer a new perspective on how religion may have evolved in human societies. King builds on the work of figures like Jane Goodall and Joseph Campbell, drawing on her extensive research into the behavior of primates, as well as the latest findings in archaeology, biology, and neuroscience, to address one of humanity's greatest mysteries: the emergence of religious belief.
King argues that religion did not emerge suddenly but evolved gradually alongside our social and emotional development. She traces the evolution of human religiosity, starting with the early social behaviors of great apes, our closest living relatives. As our ancestors' brains grew in capacity, so too did the complexity of their social relationships, extending from one-to-one connections to more expansive ties, including group bonds within families and communities. Over time, this emotional and social sophistication paved the way for the development of religious beliefs—first involving connections to ancestors, then to animal spirits, and ultimately to higher beings or gods.
Through this lens, King offers a comprehensive view of how religion might have emerged as a byproduct of evolving cognitive and social abilities. She emphasizes the gradual expansion of communication, emotional bonding, and the human need to make sense of life and death, culminating in the formation of early religious systems.
King's *Evolving God* challenges the view that religion is solely a product of culture or divine intervention, proposing instead that human religiosity is deeply tied to our evolutionary history. The book provides compelling evidence for the idea that humans may be inherently predisposed to religious thought, a perspective that has significant implications for current debates around evolution, creationism, and intelligent design.
Ultimately, *Evolving God* offers a fresh, interdisciplinary approach to understanding how and why religion developed, highlighting the intricate relationship between human evolution, social behavior, and spirituality.
Ex-library with limited library stamps and stickers. The text block is intact, and the pages are clean, unmarked, and unbent—binding sound. DJ is wrapped with a mylar protective sleeve.
