John Teehan

In the Name of God (eBook, ePUB)

The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Ethics and Violence

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Religion is one of the most powerful forces running through human history, and although often presented as a force for good, its impact is frequently violent and divisive. This provocative work brings together cutting-edge research from both evolutionary and cognitive psychology to help readers understand the psychological structure of religious morality and the origins of religious violence. * Introduces a fundamentally new approach to the analysis of religion in a style accessible to the general reader * Applies insights from evolutionary and cognitive psychology to both Judaism and Christianity, and their texts, to help understand the origins of religious violence * Argues that religious violence is grounded in the moral psychology of religion * Illustrates its controversial argument with reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the response to the attacks from both the terrorists and the President. Suggests strategies for beginning to counter the divisive aspects of religion * Discusses the role of religion and religious criticism in the contemporary world. Argues for a position sceptical of the moral authority of religion, while also critiquing the excesses of the "new atheists" for failing to appreciate the moral contributions of religion * Awarded Honourable Mention, 2010 Prose Awards

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Jossey-Bass
• Seitenzahl: 288
• Erscheinungstermin: 13. September 2011
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781444359138
• Artikelnr.: 38307135

Autorenporträt

John Teehan is Associate Professor of Religion at Hofstra University. He is the author of numerous articles on the impact of evolutionary studies on morality and religion, as well as studies on the philosophy of John Dewey.

Inhaltsangabe

Acknowledgments.
Introduction: Evolution and Mind.
1. The Evolution of Morality.
Setting the Task.
The Moral Brain.
The First Layer: Kin Selection.
The Second Layer: Reciprocal Altruism.
A Third Layer: Indirect Reciprocity.
A Fourth Layer: Cultural Group Selection.
A Fifth Layer: The Moral Emotions.
Conclusion: From Moral Grammar to Moral Systems.
2. The Evolution of Moral Religions.
Setting the Task.
The Evolution of the Religious Mind.
Conceptualizing the Almighty.
The Moral Function of Gods.
3. Evolutionary Religious Ethics: Judaism.
Setting the Task.
Constructing Yahweh.
The Ten Commandments: An Evolutionary Interpretation.
Conclusion: The Evolved Law.
4. Evolutionary Religious Ethics: Christianity.
Setting the Task.
Constructing the Christ.
Setting the Boundaries: Christian and/or Jew?.
The Third Race: Christians as In-Group.
Putting on Christ: Christianity's Signals of Commitment.
Loving Your Neighbor and Turning the Other Cheek.
5. Religion, Violence, and the Evolved Mind.
Setting the Task.
Devoted to Destruction: Sanctified Violence and Judaism.
The Blood of the Lamb.
A Case Study in the Evolved Psychology of Religious Violence: 9/11.
6. Religion Evolving.
Setting the Task.
Varieties of Religious Expressions.
If There Were No God ....
Religion, Ethics, and Violence: An Assessment.
Responding to Religion, Ethics, and Violence: Some Proposals.
Conclusions.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index.

Rezensionen

"This is an exceedingly provocative study and one that merits careful attention from general readers and scholars alike. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers." (Choice (American Library Assoc.), 1 December 2010)

"This is an excellent book. It gives a good summary of current scientific understanding of evolution of morality and religion. It discusses religious violence as the other side of the moral coin. And there is a useful discussion of the problem of religion in modern society and ways we can overcome the negative aspects of our evolved moral and cognitive systems." (Open Parachute, July 2010)

"Drawing on evolutionary assumptions and evidence, Teehan (religion, Hofstra Univ.) argues that religion can be understood within the context of the natural development of human moral systems ... .He succinctly and helpfully summarizes his evolutionary approach to the origins of human religiousness. Then he uses it to analyze the (Jewish) Ten Commandments and the (Christian) ethical teachings of Jesus and, finally, to show that religious violence is inherent in the in-group/out-group nature of religion itself. Teehan's naturalism is commendable ... .An informative ... study, best for specialists." (Library Journal, July 2010)

"Teehan ... offers provocative discussion about the role of these exciting sub-disciplines of psychology in explaining religion and violence. Teehan illustrates that we can come to some very similar conclusions by using a secular approach to religious violence. In sum, this book is very useful in exploring the potential of evolutionary psychology in explaining religious violence." (Free Inquiry, August/September 2010)"This lucid and fascinating study explores religious ethics from the angle of evolutionary psychology, focusing especially on religious violence, including the terrorism of 9/11 and its militant response.
Even those readers who are skeptics of a sociobiological explanation for religion will find this intriguing book to be a thoughtful inquiry and a feast for the imagination."
--Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence

"This is a thoughtful and sophisticated attempt to bring scholarship in evolutionary biology and cognitive psychology to bear on religious ethics. Building on a masterful synthesis of current work in the sciences, Teehan roots both the nobler, pro-social and the darker, more violent aspects of Christian and Jewish ethical teachings in the evolved psychology of in-group / out-group distinctions. Contrary to those who emphasize either the positive or the negative ethical aspects of these religious traditions, Teehan argues that the violence can't simply be excised as an aberation and instead suggests pragmatic strategies intended to moderate our tendency to favor our own group over others."
--Ann Taves, University of California at Santa Barbara, author of Religious Experience Reconsidered

"John Teehan's book will soon be recognized as a classic in several fields--it is a wonderful example of how to build successfully conceptual bridges across different disciplines, shortchanging none of them and contributing substantially to each of them. What a treasure Teehan is: few scholars write with such clarity across such an impressive range of disciplines. How fortunate that we have him to navigate us though historical and recent work investigating religion from an evolutionary perspective."
--Todd K. Shackelford, Florida Atlantic University

"Teehan ... offers provocative discussion about the role of these exciting sub-disciplines of psychology in explaining religion and violence. Teehan illustrates that we can come to some very similar conclusions by using a secular approach to religious violence. In sum, this book is very useful in exploring the potential of evolutionary psychology in explaining religious violence." -- Free Inquiry, August/September 2010