In the name of God : the evolutionary origins of religious ethics and violence / John Teehan.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Religion is one of the most powerful forces running through human history, and although often presented as a force for good, its impact is frequently violent and divisive. This provocative work brings together cutting-edge research from both evolutionary and cognitive psychology to help readers understand the psychological structure of religious morality and the origins of religious violence. Introduces a fundamentally new approach to the analysis of religion in a style accessible to the general reader Applies insights from evolutionary and cognitive psychology to both Judaism and Christianity, and their texts, to help understand the origins of religious violence Argues that religious violence is grounded in the moral psychology of religion Illustrates its controversial argument with reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the response to the attacks from both the terrorists and the President. Suggests strategies for beginning to counter the divisive aspects of religion Discusses the role of religion and religious criticism in the contemporary world. Argues for a position sceptical of the moral authority of religion, while also critiquing the excesses of the "new atheists" for failing to appreciate the moral contributions of religion Awarded Honourable Mention, 2010 Prose Awards

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Drawing on evolutionary assumptions and evidence, Teehan (religion, Hofstra Univ.) argues that religion can be understood within the context of the natural development of human moral systems, apart from any actual transcendent moral agency. He succinctly and helpfully summarizes his evolutionary approach to the origins of human religiousness. Then he uses it to analyze the (Jewish) Ten Commandments and the (Christian) ethical teachings of Jesus and, finally, to show that religious violence is inherent in the in-group/out-group nature of religion itself. Teehan's naturalism is commendable, but most of his conclusions result from his nuanced understanding of the category "religion"; his emphasis on religious texts strains against his method and begs hermeneutical questions. An informative, albeit sometimes dense, study, best for specialists.-Steve A. Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Teehan (Hofstra) examines the shadow side of religious morality from the perspective of evolutionary psychology. As he indicates, violence grounded in religious communities is not simply an aberration of morality; rather, religious moral systems evolve so as to preserve cultural "fitness" according to Darwinian principles of inheritance, variation, and competition. Morality evolves naturally, as boundaries between in-groups and out-groups create preferences for those on the inside while eliminating competition from outside threats--with violence, if necessary. Such religious exclusivity is problematic in all three monotheistic traditions. Teehan calls for a more pragmatic approach to enlarge the sphere of moral concern, proposing, for example, that people be introduced to alternative religious worldviews that promote critical discussions of religion. Although the two chapters on Judaism and Christianity provide carefully nuanced analyses of the roots of religious violence, the author devotes only five pages to an exploration of the roots of violence in Islam. Since 9/11 is so central to Teehan's analysis, one wonders why he did not undertake a more complete analysis of Islam using his theory of evolved morality. This is an exceedingly provocative study and one that merits careful attention from general readers and scholars alike. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. P. K. Steinfeld Buena Vista University