Reviews

For anyone who wants to understand how religion evolved and works, this book is essential reading.
Joseph Bulbulia, Director of The Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research, Professor of Psychology, Victoria University, New Zealand

In this elegant volume, Purzycki and Sosis craft a powerful framework for understanding the function and functioning of religions. Overturning longstanding ideas of it as an evolutionary appendage, their account sees religion as a sensitive medium for solving community problems. Synthesizing decades of work in anthropology, psychology, sociology, demography, and cultural evolution, Religion Evolving identifies the building blocks of religious systems, articulates how these systems have influenced humanity's past, and explains why they will continue to play a central role in humanity's present and future.
Andrew Buskell, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge

The idea that religion is adaptive and helps humans deal with social and ecological challenges is steadily gaining ground. In Religion Evolving, Purzycki and Sosis (two of the main architects of this view) present a compelling case for religion as an adaptive system. Religion fosters sharedness, regulates social norms, and motivates resource management and adherence to moral norms. Among the many features that makes this book a must-have for any scholar interested in the scientific study of religion, it pays attention to neglected aspects of religion, such as the question of unbelief in traditional societies and the role of religion in the management of local ecology.
Helen De Cruz, Danforth Chair in the Humanities - Philosophy, Saint Louis University

Religion Evolving is a must-read for anyone interested in how the evolutionary perspective has transformed our understanding of one of humanity‘s most persistent mysteries. A groundbreaking synthesis by two of the world’s leading anthropologists of religion.
Ara Norenzayan, author of Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict

Religion Evolving offers a much needed synthesis of the recent explosion of work in the scientific study of religion. The workings of a single religious community can seem an overwhelmingly complex web of interacting factors, even for a seasoned researcher, let alone developing an understanding of religion writ large in all its myriad forms. Yet, Sosis and Purzycki’s innovation is to see the complexity of religion not as a daunting challenge, but as its defining feature - an adaptive system that generates variation and resilience and allows religious communities to adapt and respond effectively to their environment over time. With this systemic understanding, the array of cultural, cognitive, and ecological findings emerging in the literature, and their interactions and variation, begin to make sense.
Dominic Johnson, Alastair Buchan Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford

The tone throughout the book is not one of imperialist scientific certainty, as evolutionary approaches are often portrayed, but rather a tone of invitation. This tone is perhaps as important as the content they present in helping Purzycki and Sosis successfully navigate the contentious debates surrounding the evolution of religion. For those of us interested in understanding the ways in which religions are shaped by evolution, this work marks a watershed in the field by bringing together the existing work and synthesizing it into a framework that puts old debates to rest while providing a guide for future inquiry.
Journal of the American Academy of Religion