The Evolution of God
| The Evolution of God | |
|---|---|
 Book cover. |
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| Author(s) | Robert Wright |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Evolution, Religion, Spirituality, Evolutionary Psychology, God |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Publication date | June 8, 2009 |
| Media type | Hardcover, Paperback |
| Pages | 576 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0316734918 |
| OCLC Number | 277086176 |
| Dewey Decimal | 200.9 22 |
| LC Classification | BL473 .W75 2009 |
| Preceded by | Nonzero |
The Evolution of God is a 2009 book by Robert Wright that explores the history of the concept of God in the three Abrahamic religions through a variety of means, including archeology, history, theology, and evolutionary psychology. The patterns which link Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and the ways in which they have changed their concepts over time are explored as one of the central themes.
One of the conclusions of the book that Wright tries to make is a reconciliation between science and religion. The future of the concept of "God" is also prognosticated by Wright, who attempts to do so through a historical lens.
Contents |
[edit] Reviews
Journalist and political commentator Andrew Sullivan gave the book a positive review in The Atlantic, saying that the book "...gave me hope that we can avoid both the barrenness of a world without God and the horrible fusion of fundamentalism and weapons of mass destruction." [1][2]
Newsweek religion editor, Lisa Miller, described The Evolution of God as a reframing of the faith vs. reason debate. Drawing a contrast to such authors as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, Miller gives an overall positive review of the book's approach to the examination of the concept of God. [3]
In a review for The New York Times, Yale professor of psychology Paul Bloom said, "In his brilliant new book, “The Evolution of God,” Robert Wright tells the story of how God grew up."[4] Bloom sums up Wright's controversial stance as, "Wright’s tone is reasoned and careful, even hesitant, throughout, and it is nice to read about issues like the morality of Christ and the meaning of jihad without getting the feeling that you are being shouted at. His views, though, are provocative and controversial. There is something here to annoy almost everyone."
However, in a New York Times review that included a reply from Wright, Nicholas Wade, a writer for the "Science Times" section, notes the book is "a disappointment from the Darwinian perspective", because evolution "provides a simpler explanation for moral progression than the deity Wright half invokes."[5]. Wright replied to Wade's comments, saying Wade had misunderstood Wright's argument and that "The deity (if there is one–and I’m agnostic on that point) would be realizing moral progress through evolution’s creation of the human moral sense (and through the subsequent development of that moral sense via cultural evolution, particularly technological evolution)."[6] Wade replied that "evolution seems to me a sufficient explanation for the moral progress that Mr. Wright correctly discerns in the human condition, so there seemed no compelling need to invoke a deity."[6]
[edit] Promotional appearances
To promote the book, Wright did a variety of interviews, including with the New York Times,[7] Publishers Weekly,[8] and Bill Moyers Journal.[9] He also did a series of videos on Bloggingheads.tv, a website he co-founded with Mickey Kaus. Wright also appeared on The Colbert Report on August 18, 2009.[10]
[edit] See also
- Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society by David Sloan Wilson, published in 2002.
[edit] References
- ^ Andrew Sullivan's blog post linking to his review, from The Atlantic
- ^ Sullivan's full review of the book from The Times
- ^ Let’s Talk About God from Newsweek
- ^ Review of The Evolution of God from The New York Times
- ^ The Non-Evolution of God, a July 2009 blog post from the New York Times website
- ^ a b Non-Evolution of God, Part 2, a July 2009 blog post from the New York Times website
- ^ Solomon, Deborah (2009-05-29). "Questions for Robert Wright: Evolutionary Theology". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/magazine/31wwln-q4-t.html?ref=magazine. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ Carrigan, Jr., Henry L. (2009-05-22). "Author Q&A: Robert Wright: 'God’s Character Changes a Lot'". Publishers Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6660278.html?&rid=#reg_visitor_id#&source=title. Retrieved 2009-07-17.[dead link]
- ^ "Bill Moyers Journal, Episode number: 1314". Alabama Public Television. http://www.aptv.org/Schedule/showinfo.asp?ID=230037&NOLA1=BMJL. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ Wright on The Colbert Report
[edit] External links
- EvolutionOfGod.net - Official website of the book, The Evolution of God.
- MeaningOfLife.tv - Website in which Wright explores religious themes through interviews with famous religious personalities.
- Video (and mp3) of talk by Wright on the subject of the book, "The Evolution of God" (57:59), at The New America Foundation
- Audio of radio interview with Wright about "The Evolution of God" on KPCC 89.3 AirTalk with Larry Mantle
- Audio of radio interview with Wright about the book on KCRW by Mickey Kaus
