Why we believe in god (s): a concise guide to the science of faith

In this groundbreaking volume, J. Anderson Thomson, Jr., MD, with Clare Aukofer, offers a succinct yet comprehensive study of how and why the human mind generates religious belief. Dr. Thomson, a highly respected practicing psychiatrist with credentials in forensic psychiatry and evolutionary psychology, methodically investigates the components and causes of religious belief in the same way any scientist would investigate the movement of astronomical bodies or the evolution of life over time—that is, as a purely natural phenomenon. Providing compelling evidence from psychology, the cognitive neurosciences, and related fields, he, with Ms. Aukofer, presents an easily accessible and exceptionally convincing case that god(s) were created by man—not vice versa. With this slim volume, Dr. Thomson establishes himself as a must-read thinker and leading voice on the primacy of reason and science over superstition and religion. Front Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 7 Foreword 9 Preface 12 Acknowledgments 15 1. In the Beginning Was the Word: Our Propensity to Believe 21 2. In the Image and Likeness: Evolution 101 26 3. Our Daily Bread: Craving a Caretaker 31 4. All That Is Seen and Unseen: Conceiving Souls 36 5. Because the Bible Tells Me So: Believing in the Invisible 38 6. And Deliver Us from Evil: Anthropomorphizing God(s) 44 7. Thy Will Be Done: Submitting to the Law of God(s) 51 8. Wherever Two or More of You Are Gathered: Harnessing Brain Chemistry through Ritual 57 9. Oh Ye of Little Faith: Discovering the Physical Evidence of God(s) as By-product 71 10. Lest Ye Be Judged: Educating Our Minds 76 Notes 79 Glossary 96