The evolution of religions : a history of related traditions / Lance Grande.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Grande, Lance, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion and culture--History--21st century.

Religion and culture.

Multiculturalism--History--21st century.

Multiculturalism.

Genre:

History

Informational works.

Physical Description:

xiii, 670 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps ; 26 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2024]

Summary:

"Contemporary evolutionary biology has abandoned the colonialist "ladder of progress" approaches utilized by late 19th- and early 20th-century cultural anthropologists to study the history of religions and of cultures in general. The focus of the field in the 21st century is on shared similarities and historical relationships among different groups and cultures. Lance Grande, a prominent systematist in this field, is the first to investigate the historical diversification of religious ideologies worldwide. The book demonstrates how the widespread human attraction to the supernatural led to the formation over time of organized religions--the cyclically oriented Asian faiths, Asian and western polytheisms, Abrahamic monotheism, traditional and reform Christianity, the gnostic mystery religions, and Islam--and the impact that these diverse religions had on the societies in which they were embedded. He has developed a unique graphic system of evolutionary trees to demonstrate these connections, arguing that all religious traditions are interrelated despite the often violent debates between them. A broader understanding of these historical connections and shared characteristics may, he hopes, promote a better climate of tolerance and acceptance"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Preface. A modern evolutionary approach to history of religion studies

Introductory section. Applying evolutionary theory and philosophy to aspects of human culture. Religions, classification, and phylogenetic pattern

Explaining hypothetical patterns with evolutionary process theory

Main section. The historical diversification (evolution) of religions. Early supernaturalism and the development of organized religion

Indigenous Eastern organized religion and Asian cyclicism

Afro-Euro-Mediterranean organized religion, beginning with old world hard polytheism

Linear monotheism

The early diversification of Abrahamic monotheism

Traditional Christianity

Reformation Christianity

Biblical demiurgism : a subgroup of "gnosticism"

Islam

Concluding section. Four historical trends in the evolution of religions and considerations for the future of humanity. Organized religions and the evolution of human society.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Other Format:

Online version : Grande, Lance. Evolution of Religions

ISBN:

9780231212304

0231212305

OCLC:

1404058887

Publisher Number:

90100329715