As a nearly universal practice, religion has played an especially prominent role in human history, thought, and behavior. Despite this prominence, thoroughgoing attempts to explain and account for religion are lacking. Although there has been a recent burst of scholarly (and popular) research and writing devoted to the origins of religion, few of these efforts attempt to locate supernatural beliefs in deep evolutionary time and trace them to the present. Any such genealogy will culminate in what we today understand to be “religion.”
This blog explores the following questions: (1) is there something about the evolved brain-mind that inclines humans towards supernatural thinking or religious belief; (2) can individual or group level selection account for any such features of brain-mind; (3) can we discern supernatural-religious activities or beliefs from the archaeological record (and if so, what kinds); (4) how have supernatural-religious activities and beliefs changed over time; and (5) what might explain such changes?
As the Categories contained in this blog suggest, tracing the genealogy of religion entails the consideration of many subjects from multiple disciplines. Each Category contains an initial post explaining why this Category is relevant to the origins and development of religion. Subsequent posts in each Category will develop these subjects, usually by discussing (and linking) a particular article, book, study, or news item.
I welcome constructive comments and questions but not vitriol. If I have posted something about your work and you wish to respond, please let me know and I will provide access in the form of a unique entry or post. You can reach me here: crisorigins-at-gmail-dot-com.
