Supernatural Selection
Title | Supernatural Selection PDF eBook |
Author | Matt Rossano |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Total Pages | 304 |
Release | 2010-05-28 |
Genre | Psychology |
ISBN | 9780199798780 |
In 2006, scientist Richard Dawkins published a blockbuster bestseller, The God Delusion. This atheist manifesto sparked a furious reaction from believers, who have responded with numerous books of their own. By pitting science against religion, however, this debate overlooks what science can tell us about religion. According to evolutionary psychologist Matt J. Rossano, what science reveals is that religion made us human. In Supernatural Selection, Rossano presents an evolutionary history of religion. Neither an apologist for religion nor a religion-basher, he draws together evidence from a wide range of disciplines to show the valuable--even essential--adaptive purpose served by systematic belief in the supernatural. The roots of religion stretch as far back as half a million years, when our ancestors developed the motor control to engage in social rituals--that is, to sing and dance together. Then, about 70,000 years ago, a global ecological crisis drove humanity to the edge of extinction. It forced the survivors to create new strategies for survival, and religious rituals were foremost among them. Fundamentally, Rossano writes, religion is a way for humans to relate to each other and the world around them--and, in the grim struggles of prehistory, it offered significant survival and reproductive advantages. It emerged as our ancestors' first health care system, and a critical part of that health care system was social support. Religious groups tended to be far more cohesive, which gave them a competitive advantage over non-religious groups, and enabled them to conquer the globe. Rather than focusing on one aspect of religion, as many theorists do, Rossano offers an all-encompassing approach that is rich with surprises, insights, and provocative conclusions.
Supernatural and Natural Selection
Title | Supernatural and Natural Selection PDF eBook |
Author | Lyle B. Steadman |
Publisher | Routledge |
Total Pages | 277 |
Release | 2015-11-17 |
Genre | Social Science |
ISBN | 1317251156 |
Spanning many different epochs and varieties of religious experience, this book develops a new approach to religion and its role in human history. The authors look across a range of religious phenomena-from ancestor worship to totemism, shamanism, and worldwide modern religions-to offer a new explanation of the evolutionary success of religious behaviors. Their book is more empirical and verifiable than most previous books on evolution and religion because they develop an approach that removes guesswork about beliefs in the supernatural, focusing instead on the behaviors of individuals. The result is a pioneering look at how and why natural selection has favored religious behaviors throughout history.
Supernatural Selection
Title | Supernatural Selection PDF eBook |
Author | Matt Rossano |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Total Pages | 304 |
Release | 2010-06-08 |
Genre | Psychology |
ISBN | 0199750777 |
In 2006, scientist Richard Dawkins published a blockbuster bestseller, The God Delusion. This atheist manifesto sparked a furious reaction from believers, who have responded with numerous books of their own. By pitting science against religion, however, this debate overlooks what science can tell us about religion. According to evolutionary psychologist Matt J. Rossano, what science reveals is that religion made us human. In Supernatural Selection, Rossano presents an evolutionary history of religion. Neither an apologist for religion nor a religion-basher, he draws together evidence from a wide range of disciplines to show the valuable--even essential--adaptive purpose served by systematic belief in the supernatural. The roots of religion stretch as far back as half a million years, when our ancestors developed the motor control to engage in social rituals--that is, to sing and dance together. Then, about 70,000 years ago, a global ecological crisis drove humanity to the edge of extinction. It forced the survivors to create new strategies for survival, and religious rituals were foremost among them. Fundamentally, Rossano writes, religion is a way for humans to relate to each other and the world around them--and, in the grim struggles of prehistory, it offered significant survival and reproductive advantages. It emerged as our ancestors' first health care system, and a critical part of that health care system was social support. Religious groups tended to be far more cohesive, which gave them a competitive advantage over non-religious groups, and enabled them to conquer the globe. Rather than focusing on one aspect of religion, as many theorists do, Rossano offers an all-encompassing approach that is rich with surprises, insights, and provocative conclusions.
Vampire with Benefits
Title | Vampire with Benefits PDF eBook |
Author | E.J. Russell |
Publisher | Reality Optional Press |
Total Pages | 264 |
Release | 2018-11-16 |
Genre | Fiction |
ISBN | 1947033751 |
The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls
Title | The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls PDF eBook |
Author | Alexander Irvine |
Publisher | Harper Collins |
Total Pages | 289 |
Release | 2009-10-13 |
Genre | Fiction |
ISBN | 0061877212 |
Twenty-three years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a demonic supernatural force. Following the tragedy, their father, John, set out to teach his boys everything about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America . . . and how to kill it. Fans of the blockbuster television phenomenon can rejoice! A one-of-a-kind compilation of all of Sam and Dean's demon-busting knowledge, The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls contains illustrations and detailed descriptions that catalogue the more than two dozen otherworldly enemies that most people believe exist only in folklore, superstition, and nightmares:vampires, ghosts, revenants, reapers, and even bloody clowns. You'll find within these pages Sam and Dean's notes, observations, and memories interwoven with sections of John Winchester's invaluable journal, making this book the perfect companion to every thrilling episode—and an essential weapon in the secret war against the hidden creatures of the darkness!
Single White Incubus
Title | Single White Incubus PDF eBook |
Author | E.J. Russell |
Publisher | Reality Optional Press |
Total Pages | 275 |
Release | 2018-10-22 |
Genre | Fiction |
ISBN | 1947033735 |
Children and the Supernatural
Title | Children and the Supernatural PDF eBook |
Author | Jennifer Toledo |
Publisher | Charisma Media |
Total Pages | 226 |
Release | 2012 |
Genre | Religion |
ISBN | 1616386061 |
Toledo examines reports of numerous radical God-encounters experienced by children after they were taught about the power of the Holy Spirit: visions, miracles, travail, prophetic evangelism, marketplace intercession, and prophecy.