This book proposes another unique basis for the origins of religion from disturbances in brain function. It proposes the novel idea that near-death and out-of-body experiences (ND/OBE) engendered “a sense of the divine” in ancient man.

As the author points out, key aspects of ND/OBE are thematic of all later established religions. These include journeys to heaven, sightings of brightly-lit godlike figures, and dead people now alive. Thus, ND/OBE could be the originating source of these spiritual motifs. To this, the author adds a fourth factor: various brain influences...

The study of religion by the humanities and social sciences has become receptive for an evolutionary perspective. Some proposals model the evolution of religion in Darwinian terms, or construct a synergy between biological and non-Darwinian processes. The results, however, have not yet become truly interdisciplinary. The biological theory of evolution in form of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) is only sparsely represented in theories published so far by scholars of religion. Therefore this book reverses the line of view and asks how their results assort with evolutionary...

This book explores modern European religious and non-religious rituals and their main features by focusing on music as a key element required for the full expression of beliefs. It specifically examines the relationship between religious, non-religious, pagan, cultural, celebratory, and traditional rituals.  In doing so, this text focuses on the extent to which the rituals overlap, replace, or feed religious or pseudo-religious beliefs to create alternative beliefs (individual or collective) that systematically ignore any religion. The book further analyses the relationship between...

This book explores and sheds light on the contemporary discourse between science and religion. Employing the methodological approach of modern science, Overcoming Reductionism aims to explain natural phenomena not in isolation from philosophical or theological interpretations. The book then focuses on the concept of pain. Although pain is a phenomenon familiar to all humans, defining it exclusively in terms of nociception proves challenging. This book therefore delves into the intricate nature of the phenomenon, critically acknowledging the way pain profoundly influences the...

This volume outlines various religious practices followed across the global south and highlights their correlation to sustainability. It features more than 30 chapters from scholars across diverse disciplines, including philosophy, economics, ethics, theology, sociology, ritual studies, and education. The interdisciplinary volume mines religious rituals and practices for answers that could aid and alleviate unsustainable lifestyles. Delving deep into the cultural practices of tribal religions in India, the book highlights humanistic elements to establish sustainable ways of thinking,...

Is the only book to link cultural evolution with religious education

Brings together scientists, naturalistic and continental philosophers, and theologians

Argues that cultural evolution is an ongoing dialogue between humanity and the world, transcending both

This book proposes a broad synthesis of the state of the art regarding the debate on the phenomenon of Emergence. Discussing from a theoretical and a theological perspective, it aims to propose a new interpretation, according to the theological and metaphysical framework offered by St Bonaventure and the Franciscan school. Identifying the main concepts, the salient, and questions that characterize the phenomenon of Emergence, the book employs a complex, multilevel and wide-ranging analysis between the wisdom of Bonaventurean theology, metaphysics, and modern scientific and metaphysical...

This book presents a systematic study of the issue of positioning in the scientific study of religion. The book discusses the wider context of positioning in the study of religion, highlights the epistemological and methodological presumptions as well as the implicit goals in play in the cognitive and evolutionary approaches. Particular focus is on the contemporary evolutionary, cognitive and behavioral study of religion and the issues of positioning in the context of these research approaches. Based on this it presents an in-depth analysis of the prevalent...