
Minds and Gods
The Cognitive Foundations of Religion
Todd Tremlin(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 9. March 2006
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-19-530534-0 (ISBN)
Description
This provocative book explains the origins and persistence of religious ideas on the basis of common structures and functions of human thought. The first general introduction to the new "cognitive science of religion," Minds and Gods presents the major themes, theories, and thinkers involved in this revolutionary new approach to human religiosity. Arguing that we cannot understand what we think until we first understand how we think, the book pursues the evolutionary forces that molded the modern human mind and continue to shape our ideas and actions today. Todd Tremlin details many of the adapted features of the brain - illustrating their operation with examples of everyday human behavior - and shows how mental endowments inherited from our ancestral past lead people to naturally entertain religious ideas. Tremlin provides a clear and comprehensive account of the developing field of the cognitive science of religion. This accessible and engaging volume is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the religious mind.
Reviews / Votes
...it is good, especially in a world endlessly troubled by religious differences, to have a new theoretical analysis suggesting that there are core religious beliefs that transcend our differences and that stem from universal featues of the human mind. * Ann Cale Kruger, Having Faith, Nature, * The volume is a very clear introduction to the work of the theorists of religion * Thomas Dixon, TLS *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
6 Zeichnungen
6 line drawings
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
552 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-530534-0 (9780195305340)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
08/2010
Oxford University Press Inc
€52.60
Shipment within 15-20 days

E-Book
03/2006
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€22.99
Available for download

E-Book
03/2006
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€22.99
Available for download
Person
Todd Tremlin is Assistant Professor of Religion at Central Michigan University. His work has appeared in volumes like Mind and Religion: Psychological and Cognitive Foundations of Religion and several periodicals, including the Journal of Cognition and Culture.
Author
Assistant Professor of Religion, Department of Philosophy & ReligionAssistant Professor of Religion, Department of Philosophy & Religion, Central Michigan University