Experiments and Religion

The Invention of Religion by Alexander Drake

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: In this book, the author explores the question of whether religions were invented by humans or given to us by some other means. It is a scientific look at how ancient humans made sense of the world and the phenomena they encountered around them.

In the past, arguments against the existence of gods have mainly come in the form of scientific inquiries that attempt to show there is no evidence for their existence. The Invention of Religion, however, investigates the psychological mechanisms that cause religions to originate and it sets out to prove that when humans have neither science nor religion, these mechanisms cause them to invent new religions. It also investigates how the differences (like monotheism vs. pantheism) between religions arise and how probable these differences are.

Review: An intriguing thought experiment with science based experiments to back up the author’s theories.

As the summary states, most books I’ve read dealing with arguments against the existence of god focus on science, logic, and facts. I have never read a book before that uses science to try and explain why religion may have been formed in the past by uninformed humans. Uninformed is the key term here. Ancient man would have little to no idea about concepts that are common knowledge to us such as lightning being caused by electrons. These ancient humans aren’t lesser; they just didn’t know or have the ability to know.

It really is fascinating the number of experiments that Alexander Drake cites that can help to explain certain religious phenomena. The experiments mentioned were ones that I had never heard of before. Drake uses a Man on an Island as the basis of his thought experiment and creates plausible scenarios in which the Man (could be one or many) develops religion. Drake covers the basic aspects and tenets of a religion. While Drake argues that religion may have been developed by ancient man and is not god given, he never derides religion.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this to those interested in early religions.

It's All in Your Head

The Philosophy of a Mad Man by Steven Colborne

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: It has often been said that there is a fine line between madness and genius, and this saying finds true expression the work of diagnosed schizophrenic and philosopher Steven Colborne. This book is Colborne's first published work, and offers a fascinating insight into the life story and philosophy of this deeply original thinker.

Review: Part memoir and part philosophy of a troubled young man.

Steven Colborne is a troubled young man and it's not a phrase I use lately. He has schizoaffective disorder, which is a terrible combination of schizophrenia and affective disorders (such as major depressive disorder). As someone who suffers from depression, anxiety, and sleeping issues, I understand the problems of mental illness, but I can't imagine suffering from delusions or having psychotic breaks. What I like about Steven is how he constantly tries to get better, to feel better. He continues to search for his version of enlightenment and happiness even though the search is a hard one.

Reading the memoir half of the book was certainly interesting. Steven experiences a lot of loss, especially with regards to cancer. Steven tried a lot of Eastern methods, some of which I had never heard of, to try and find inner peace. I am not exactly sure how Christianity came into play since Steven had never mentioned it before, but perhaps he had always believe in a god. While Steven's philosophy was interesting and certainly an interesting way to look at the world, it didn't resonate with me. As an atheist, I was probably not the intended audience for this book.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those interested in mental illness with a Christian aspect.

It’s a Small World After All

The Evolution of Human Intellect: Discover the Information that Schools and Religions Aren't Yet Teaching by L.N. Smith

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Why did women lose their facial hair during evolution? Where did the notion of god(s) come from? Why did self-awareness arise in the torso before migrating behind the eyes? What transition sparked the feud between science and religion? All of these questions have simple and logical answers, which are entertainingly revealed in the form of two amusement park attractions.

Review: A relatively short, but still an intriguing and powerful way to look at human development.

I will admit to being thrown off by the book being told through a Disney ride. I honestly think it could have been told without the Disney ride aspect. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. I just found it odd. An incredible amount of time is covered in this book and while they are large gaps of time, most of the important time periods and moments in time are dealt with.

I personally think that our history does lend itself to the idea of a journey into enlightenment and growth (which is how I saw it), but not perfectly due to some civilizations going much farther than others, some reverting back to an earlier form, and some going farther and then reverting. Despite that, I found the stages of human evolution very logical although some of the concepts I didn’t agree with or saw no evidence for. The book is definitely worth a read though. The philosophic and religious implications make it worth reading.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those interested in philosophy, the history of religion, or the evolution of human culture. 

The First and Only Quitter

The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation by Jon M. Sweeney

Summary: At the close of the tumultuous Middle Ages, there lived a man who seemed destined from birth to save the world. His name was Peter Morrone, a hermit, a founder of a religious order, and, depending on whom you talk to, a reformer, an instigator, a prophet, a coward, a saint, and possibly the victim of murder. A stroke of fate would, practically overnight, transform this humble servant of God into the most powerful man in the Catholic Church. Half a year later, he would be the only pope in history to abdicate the chair of St. Peter, an act that nearly brought the papacy to its knees. What led him to make that decision and what happened afterward would be shrouded in mystery for centuries. The Pope Who Quit pulls back the veil of secrecy on this dramatic time in history and showcases a story that involves deadly dealings, apocalyptic maneuverings, and papal intrigue.

Review: More a history of the time period and the important historical figures than an actual history of Celestine. 

I must admit that I was disappointed in this book. I was expecting it to be about Pope Celestine, whom the book is named after. Celestine's story is fascinating. I did not know he was the only pope to abdicate. I was expecting to learn about why he was chosen to be pope and why he quit. Unfortunately, this book is rather short on Celestine's story. There is not much information about Celestine and a lot of that information is embellished. 

To understand Celestine and his abdication, one must understand the history of the time period Celestine lived in. I found the history the most fascinating part of the book. I like the time period and enjoy reading about the Middle Ages. There is a lot to touch on and the book does a good job of providing enough history to understand Celestine and his times. I honestly felt I did not learn too much about Celestine. There was not enough information about him. I do not think Celestine's story warrants its own book. I think it would have been fine being part of a history of the Church during the Middle Ages. 

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this to those interested in religion, Church history, or the Middle Ages.