Theology and Science on the Evolution of Religion: Exploring Possibilities for Dialogue
Tom Uytterhoeven
Sep 2024 · New Approaches to the Scientific Study of Religion Book 16 · Springer Nature
Ebook
132
Pages
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About this ebook
This book studies the much-debated implications of sociobiology for religion. It explores the answers to questions such as: Is religion merely the result of natural selection? Do religious ideas literally make up people's minds, determining how they think and act? Critically engaging philosopher Daniel Dennett's view on cultural evolution, the book argues that the relation between religious concepts and religious believers is one of continuous, creative dialogue. This dialogical relation allows meaning to emerge and leaves room for free will, thus contradicting Dennett's position. The book provides a concise introduction to the questions at play where religion and science meet. Drawing on sources from science, philosophy and theology, it offers an example of how a constructive interaction of different disciplines can lead to new perspectives on the complex phenomenon of religion.
About the author
Tom Uytterhoeven has over three decades of experience in educational settings. He taught both primary education and religious didactics at the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. He currently serves as a pedagogical support officer for Catholic Education Flanders. In the course of his varied professional career, he has pursued studies in systematic theology at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies at KU Leuven. In 2017, he successfully defended his PhD in the relationship between theology and the scientific study of religion, in particular from the perspective of cultural evolution and cognitive sciences.
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