Discovering God : The Origins of the Great Religions and the Evolution of Belief

__Discovering God__ is a monumental history of the origins of the great religions from the Stone Age to the Modern Age. Sociologist Rodney Stark surveys the birth and growth of religions around the world—from the prehistoric era of primal beliefs; the history of the pyramids found in Iraq, Egypt, Mexico, and Cambodia; and the great "Axial Age" of Plato, Zoroaster, Confucius, and the Buddha, to the modern Christian missions and the global spread of Islam. He argues for a free-market theory of religion and for the controversial thesis that under the best, unimpeded conditions, the true, most authentic religions will survive and thrive. Among his many conclusions: * Despite decades of faulty reports that early religions were crude muddles of superstition, it turns out that primitive humans had surprisingly sophisticated notions about God and Creation. * The idea of "sin" appeared suddenly in the sixth century BCE and quickly reshaped religious ideas from Europe to China. * Some major world religions seem to lack any plausible traces of divine inspiration. * Ironically, some famous figures who attempted to found "Godless" religions ended up being worshiped as Gods. Most people believe in the existence of God (or Gods), and this has apparently been so throughout human history. Many modern biologists and psychologists reject these spiritual ideas, especially those about the existence of God, as delusional. They claim that religion is a primitive survival mechanism that should have been discarded as humans evolved beyond the stage where belief in God served any useful purpose—that in modern societies, faith is a misleading crutch and an impediment to reason. In __Discovering God__, award-winning sociologist Rodney Stark responds to this position, arguing that it is our capacity to understand God that has evolved—that humans now know much more about God than they did in ancient times.

Discovering God is a monumental history of the origins of the great religions from the Stone Age to the Modern Age. Sociologist Rodney Stark surveys the birth and growth of religions around the world from the prehistoric era of primal beliefs; the history of the pyramids found in Iraq, Egypt, Mexico, and Cambodia; and the great "Axial Age" of Plato, Zoroaster, Confucius, and the Buddha, to the modern Christian missions and the global spread of Islam. He argues for a free-market theory of religion and for the controversial thesis that under the best, unimpeded conditions, the true, most authentic religions will survive and thrive. Among his many conclusions:

Despite decades of faulty reports that early religions were crude muddles of superstition, it turns out that primitive humans had surprisingly sophisticated notions about God and Creation.

The idea of "sin" appeared suddenly in the sixth century BCE and quickly reshaped religious ideas from Europe to China.

Some major world religions seem to lack any plausible traces of divine inspiration.

Ironically, some famous figures who attempted to found "Godless" religions ended up being worshiped as Gods.

Most people believe in the existence of God (or Gods), and this has apparently been so throughout human history. Many modern biologists and psychologists reject these spiritual ideas, especially those about the existence of God, as delusional. They claim that religion is a primitive survival mechanism that should have been discarded as humans evolved beyond the stage where belief in God served any useful purpose that in modern societies, faith is a misleading crutch and an impediment to reason. In Discovering God, award-winning sociologist Rodney Stark responds to this position, arguing that it is our capacity to understand God that has evolved that humans now know much more about God than they did in ancient times.

Newsweek

Stark’s retelling of the origins of the world’s great religions is fascinating and excellent.

An award-winning sociologist's “fascinating and excellent” history of the origins of the great religions from the Stone Age to the Modern Age (Newsweek).In Discovering God, Rodney Stark surveys the birth and growth of religions around the world—from the prehistoric era of primal beliefs; the history of the pyramids found in Iraq, Egypt, Mexico, and Cambodia; and the great “Axial Age” of Plato, Zoroaster, Confucius, and the Buddha, to the modern Christian missions and the global spread of Islam. He argues for a free-market theory of religion and for the controversial thesis that under the best, unimpeded conditions, the true, most authentic religions will survive and thrive. Many modern biologists and psychologists claim that religion is a primitive survival mechanism that should have been discarded as humans evolved—that in modern societies, faith is a misleading crutch and an impediment to reason. Stark responds to this position, arguing that it is our capacity to understand God that has evolved—that humans now know much more about God than they did in ancient times.Winner of the 2008 Christianity Today Award of Merit in Theology/Ethics Charting the rise of religion from Stone Age spirituality to the recent spread of Christianity in Africa, Asia, and South America, Discovering God asks the age–old question, if god was present from the beginning of time, why did god wait to reveal god's self to humans until (according to their respective traditions) Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Buddha, etc., came along? Stark asks, why a variety of world religions all sprang up at about the same time (referred to as the Axial Age). And Stark asks, why do many religions seem to share similar features? As the title suggests, Stark's thesis will be that god was here all along, and humans "discovered" (not invented) god in keeping with their own intellectual and spiritual evolution. Winner of the 2008 Christianity Today Award of Merit in Theology/Ethics The History of God In Discovering God , award-winning sociologist Rodney Stark presents a monumental history of the origins of the great religions from the Stone Age to the Modern Age and wrestles with the central questions of religion and belief. A noted social historian charts the rise of religion, from Stone Age spirituality through the recent surge in Christianity, addressing numerous questions that range from why most world religions developed simultaneously to the commonalities among disparate faiths. 40,000 first printing. Gods in primitive societies Temple religions of ancient civilizations Rome: an ancient religious marketplace The 'rebirth' of monotheism Indian inspirations Chinese gods and 'godless' faiths The rise of Christianity Islam: god and state.