For many years, ethnologists, social scientists, and archaeologists have tried to understand why so many myths have common elements. Is there a reason why similar myths appeared at similar times in various places around the world? How is religion supported by myth? In "Religion, Myth, and the Brain," author George F. Bain takes a closer look at these intriguing concepts and seeks to answer a compelling question: why are humans drawn to religion at all times and in all ages?

In the form of DNA studies, modern science has tracked the movements of ancient peoples worldwide and has also...