To explain religious behavior is a daunting task. One very recent attempt is to explain religious behaviors and religion within an evolutionary framework. In this volume leading experts from various disciplines analyze religion and religiosity as phenomena in a Darwinian world. Is religiosity adaptive? Are religious people more fertile? Do we have cognitive predispositions to be religious? Are children natural believers? These questions are answered in this fascinating array of contributions from the field of evolutionary studies of religion.

Inhaltsangabe1. Introduction - Connections between evolution and religion : Gerhard Vollmer 2. From evolution to religion? About scientii¬?c and non-scientii¬? c explanations of religious phenomena : Thomas Sukopp 3. Religious Concepts as Necessary Components of the Adaptive Religious System: Benjamin Grant Purzycki/Richard Sosis 4. Religiousness in the era of genes: Caspar Söling 5. Can Religious Belief Be Explained Away? - Reasons and Causes of Religious Belief: Justin L. Barrett/David Leech/Aku Visala 6. The Role of Religious Concepts in the Evolution of Human Cognition: Rebekah A. Richert/Erin I. Smith 7. Harnessing the Placebo Effect: Religion as a Cultural Adaptation: Matt J. Rossano 8. Naturalistic Impositions: Hannes Rusch 9. Von Hayek and the Amish Fertility How religious communities manage to be fruitful and multiply - A Case study: Michael Blume