Evolutionary Approaches to Religion and the Problem of Transcendent Meaning
This article analyzes the concept of religion within the framework of evolutionary biology. It critiques a reductionist view that understands religion primarily in terms of function and the grounding of such an interpretation in principles of chance. Common understandings of the role of chance do no...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Zygon
Year: 2024, Volume: 59, Issue: 2, Pages: 456–473 |
| Further subjects: | B
Afterlife
B functional analysis B Transcendence B Emergence B criticism of religion B Evolution B Meaning B Chance |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This article analyzes the concept of religion within the framework of evolutionary biology. It critiques a reductionist view that understands religion primarily in terms of function and the grounding of such an interpretation in principles of chance. Common understandings of the role of chance do not derive from biological evidence; a broader understanding of this element is needed. Likewise, limiting religion to its evolutionarily ascertainable benefits overlooks the fact that these benefits only materialize when there is belief in the transcendent purpose that religion provides. Consequently, the article advocates for the recognition of religion as an emergent cultural phenomenon whose essence can never be fully captured through a purely functional, scientific lens. |
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| ISSN: | 1467-9744 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Zygon
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.16995/zygon.11649 |