Religion Is Not About God : How Spiritual Traditions Nurture Our Biological Nature and What to Expect When They Fail

"Loyal Rue has written a bold, scholarly, and gracefully composed discussion of the complex relations between the concepts of God and religion. I learned a great deal from the rich tapestry of facts that filled the gaps in my understanding of the history of these ideas and believe that readers will enjoy a similar intellectual experience."—Jerome Kagan, research professor of psychology, Harvard University"This book is an important step toward the naturalistic, hence truly general theory of religion. It harmonizes contemporary scientific understanding of the origin of human nature with a positive view of the centrality of religion in culture."—Edward O. Wilson, university research professor, emeritus, Harvard University"Rue’s book should make all religious scholars proud to be descendants of baboons! It is a book of deep scholarship that shows how we can both accept the biological signature of our species, while recognizing its power to create personally meaningful religious traditions."—Marc D. Hauser, Harvard University, author of Wild Minds: What Animals Really ThinkThousands of religious traditions have appeared over the course of human history but only a relative few have survived. Since some speak of a myriad of gods, others speak of only one, and some recognize no gods at all, we can conclude that belief in a supernatural being is not the only thing that holds a faith tradition together. Volumes have been written attempting to prove the existence or non-existence of supernatural being(s). So, if religion is not about God, then what on earth is it about? In this provocative book, Loyal Rue contends that religion, very basically, is about us. Successful religions are narrative (myth) traditions that influence human nature so that we might think, feel, and act in ways that are good for us, both individually and collectively. Through the use of images, symbols, and rituals, religion promotes reproductive fitness and survival through the facilitation of harmonious social relations. Rue builds his argument by first assembling a theory of human nature, drawn from recent developments in cognitive science and evolutionary theory. He shows how cognitive and emotional systems work together and how they are conditioned by cultural influences, including religion. He then surveys the major religious traditions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism—to show how each one, in its own way, has guided human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence. As all religions are increasingly faced with a crisis of intellectual plausibility and moral relevance, they are being rendered incapable of shaping behavior in ways that might prevent unsustainable patterns of human population and consumption. Rue warns that when religions outlive their adaptive utility, they become positive threats to human survival.Despite its bold and ambitious goals, this book is hostile to neither the idea of God nor religious life. Written respectfully throughout, Religion Is Not about God will appeal to a broad audience interested in issues of faith and science. Annotation Thousands of religious traditions have appeared over the course of human history but only a relative few have survived. Since some speak of a myriad of gods, others speak of only one, and some recognize no gods at all, we can conclude that belief in a supernatural being is not the only thing that holds a faith tradition together. Volumes have been written attempting to prove the existence or non-existence of supernatural being(s). So, if religion is not about God, then what on earth is it about? In this provocative book, Loyal Rue contends that religion, very basically, is about us. Successful religions are narrative (myth) traditions that influence human nature so that we might think, feel, and act in ways that are good for us, both individually and collectively. Through the use of images, symbols, and rituals, religion promotes reproductive fitness and survival through the facilitation of harmonious social relations. Rue builds his argument by first assembling a theory of human nature, drawn from recent developments in cognitive science and evolutionary theory. He shows how cognitive and emotional systems work together and how they are conditioned by cultural influences, including religion. He then surveys the major religious traditions-Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism-to show how each one, in its own way, has guided human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence. As all religions are increasingly faced with a crisis of intellectual plausibility and moral relevance, they are being rendered incapable of shaping behavior in ways that might prevent unsustainable patterns of human population and consumption. Rue warns that when religions outlive their adaptive utility, they become positive threats to human survival. Despite its bold and ambitious goals, this book is hostile to neither the idea of God nor religious life. Written respectfully throughout, Religion Is Not about God will appeal to a broad audience interested in issues of faith and science Annotation In the course of human history, thousands of religious traditions have appeared, each with distinctive patterns of meaning. Some speak of a myriad of gods, others speak of only one, while some recognize no gods at all. Volumes have been written attempting to prove the existence or non-existence of supernatural being(s). But, if religion is not about God, then what on earth is it about? In this provocative book, Loyal Rue contends that religion, very basically, is about us. More specifically, it is a series of strategies that aims to influence human nature so that we might think, feel, and act in ways that are good for us, both individually and collectively. Employing images, symbols, and rituals, religion's main goals are to promote reproductive fitness and survival through the facilitation of harmonious social relations. Rue builds his argument by first assembling a theory of human nature, drawn from recent developments in cognitive science and evolutionary theory. He shows how cognitive and emotional systems work together and how they are conditioned by cultural influences, including religion. He then surveys the major religious traditions--Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism--to show how each, in its own way, has guided human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence. Rue also considers the prospects for religious traditions in the light of contemporary challenges. As all religions are increasingly faced with a dual crisis of intellectual plausibility and moral relevance, they are being rendered less capable of shaping behavior in ways that are usefully adaptive. Rue warns that when religions outlive their adaptive utility, theybecome positive threats to human survival. Despite its bold and ambitious goals, this book is hostile to neither the idea of God nor religious life in general. Rue acknowledges that both can coexist with the idea of religion Thousands of religious traditions have appeared over the course of human history but only a relative few have survived. Some speak of a myriad of gods, others of only one, and some recognize no gods at all. Volumes have been written attempting to prove the existence or non-existence of supernatural being(s). So, if religion is not about God, then what is it about?

In this provocative book, Loyal Rue contends that religion, very basically, is about us. Successful religions are narrative (myth) traditions that influence human nature so that we might think, feel, and act in ways that are good for us, both individually and collectively. Through the use of images, symbols, and rituals, religion promotes reproductive fitness and survival through the facilitation of harmonious social relations. Drawing on examples from the major traditions-Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism-Rue shows how each religion, in its own way, has guided human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence.

As all faiths are increasingly faced with a crisis of intellectual plausibility and moral relevance, this book presents a compelling and positive view of the centrality and meaning of religion.

Loyal Rue, two-time Templeton Award winner, is a professor of philosophy and religion at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

2006 Choice Outstanding Academic Title Thousands of religious traditions have appeared over the course of human history but only a relative few have survived. Some speak of a myriad of gods, others of only one, and some recognize no gods at all. Volumes have been written attempting to prove the existence or nonexistence of supernatural being(s). So, if religion is not about God , then what is it about? In this provocative book, Loyal Rue contends that religion, very basically, is about us . Successful religions are narrative (myth) traditions that influence human nature so that we might think, feel, and act in ways that are good for us, both individually and collectively. Through the use of images, symbols, and rituals, religion promotes reproductive fitness and survival through the facilitation of harmonious social relations. Drawing on examples from the major traditionsJudaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and BuddhismRue shows how each religion, in its own way, has guided human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence. As all faiths are increasingly faced with a crisis of intellectual plausibility and moral relevance, this book presents a compelling and positive view of the centrality and meaning of religion. Thousands of religions have appeared over the course of human history. Some speak of a myriad of gods, others of only one. Drawing on examples from the major traditions - Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism - this book shows how religion guides human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence. Loyal Rue. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 369-380) And Index.