In this sweeping narrative that takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils an astonishing discovery: there is a hidd...
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May 15, 2010
David
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This is a most impressive book.
Robert Wright's earlier book "Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny" explored the notion that much of the advance of human civilization (including religion) has been driven by a fundamental principle of game theory (and also of economics), namely that a cooperative strategy benefits both parties. The development of trade rather than war, first between tribes, then among larger groups, then between nations, can be seen as manifestations of thi More...
Robert Wright's earlier book "Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny" explored the notion that much of the advance of human civilization (including religion) has been driven by a fundamental principle of game theory (and also of economics), namely that a cooperative strategy benefits both parties. The development of trade rather than war, first between tribes, then among larger groups, then between nations, can be seen as manifestations of thi More...
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Jan 09, 2012
Karen
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Long Story Short: This book has a lot of interesting close-ish reading of the big three Abrahamic religious texts (Torah, Bible, Koran), interspersed with a lot of philosophy and splaining I wasn’t that crazy about.
The Book’s Strengths: First of all, I like Wright’s writing style. He explains his points well, and he intersperses his texts with just enough humor that it’s a pleasant surprise every time. True, writing style is not a very important part of a book’s message, but it makes i More...
The Book’s Strengths: First of all, I like Wright’s writing style. He explains his points well, and he intersperses his texts with just enough humor that it’s a pleasant surprise every time. True, writing style is not a very important part of a book’s message, but it makes i More...
Jul 27, 2011
Michael
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The scope of this book's undertaking is impressive (and a little daunting). It is a book principally about mankind's cultural evolution. An account of our social and cultural development as told through a review of the history of religion. Yet, Wright also dicusses the existence of God, the relationship between science and religion, the causes of (and solutions for) radical Islamic terrorism, the nature of ancient trade relationships and the modern relations between the major monotheistic relg
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Jun 24, 2011
Jorge
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The Evolution of God by Robert Wright
The Evolution of God by Robert Wright is a book about the evolution of the concept of God. The author makes use of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology to explain how mainly the Abrahamic religions evolved. The book 576 pages worth is composed of twenty chapters within five major sections: I. The Birth and Growth of the Gods, II. The Emergence of Abrahamic Monotheism, III. The Invention of Christianity, IV. The Triumph of Islam, and More...
The Evolution of God by Robert Wright is a book about the evolution of the concept of God. The author makes use of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology to explain how mainly the Abrahamic religions evolved. The book 576 pages worth is composed of twenty chapters within five major sections: I. The Birth and Growth of the Gods, II. The Emergence of Abrahamic Monotheism, III. The Invention of Christianity, IV. The Triumph of Islam, and More...
Dec 28, 2010
Sarah
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I grew up trying to read the Bible, copiously; first as an exercise in divining God's will, then as a desperate attempt to demonstrate that I was among the saved, then as an act of refutation, then later in an attempt to contain the whole thing in my head and come to some sort of coherent "once and for all, dammit" understanding of the thing. It was this last attempt that really brought home what a patched together, boggling document it is- style, tone, characters, thesis- all a jumbl
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Jul 18, 2010
Laura
rated it:
This book gets a bonus star because I am delighted by the notion of a Marduk of Accounting. That said, I’m not sure there’s much new here, though it is certainly presented in an accessible way.
Write proposes that there is an arc to the western concept of the divine, from amoral and capricious creatures that could, from time to time, be persuaded to heal or hurt to a single divine being worthy of worship among many not so deserving, to a single divine being that required a certain More...
Write proposes that there is an arc to the western concept of the divine, from amoral and capricious creatures that could, from time to time, be persuaded to heal or hurt to a single divine being worthy of worship among many not so deserving, to a single divine being that required a certain More...
Mar 04, 2010
Pat
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As the title suggests, this book explores the history of how god(s) evolved, beginning with pre-historic hunter-gather societies who had many gods, through to the birth of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). Wright is a clear and compelling writer, and researched his topic well. I thoroughly enjoyed the history. The description of Polynesian religion, in particular, was fascinating, as was the description of how Judaism moved from monolatry (the belief that many gods exist
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Nov 22, 2009
Daniel
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This is one of the best books I have read on this subject. A must read for anyone who wants to sound intelligent on religion.
That being said, my two criticisms would be the author's heightened awareness of the nature of non-zero sum equations. Yes, we get it. It isn't necessary to reintroduce the concept over and over.
The other critique I would offer is that this book seems to be the work of a tortured soul. A deconstructer by day who searches at night for an altar on w More...
That being said, my two criticisms would be the author's heightened awareness of the nature of non-zero sum equations. Yes, we get it. It isn't necessary to reintroduce the concept over and over.
The other critique I would offer is that this book seems to be the work of a tortured soul. A deconstructer by day who searches at night for an altar on w More...
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Nov 07, 2009
Mary Gail
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Robert Wright is a terrific writer. This is a heady work -- starting with hunter/gatherer societies and taking us through the beginnings of Christianity and Islam. The premise is that God always has been made in the image and likeness and man. God has evolved over the centuries to reflect "conditions in the ground," which help makes sense of the various "Gods" seen in the Old Testament -- e.g. the warrior god and the protective god, in the Koran -- (pretty much the same) -
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Oct 05, 2009
David
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I've read other books by Wright, and found his arguments interesting. Unfortunately, I am not sure of some his notions about evolution, since there is a difference between genes for blue eyes and genes for, let's say, picking a mate, which he makes an argument for. (For men it involves picking a woman with a certain hip to waist ratio that would make her a good candidate for child bearing.) Anyway, the purpose of this book is to explore the idea that since society is becoming more moral, our co
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Oct 02, 2009
Holly
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For all you would-be philosophers out there, this one is for you! Robert Wright is an author who, for his past several books anyway, has taken on the notion of "if God exists, who is he? And how do we know?". While this might sound like a rehash of every 'existence of God' argument you've heard before, it isn't, and I encourage you to give The Evolution of God a try.
In short, this book address the god of science and not the god of religion. Using everything from anthropolog More...
In short, this book address the god of science and not the god of religion. Using everything from anthropolog More...
Sep 05, 2009
Gene
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This was a fascinating book albeit from a materialist viewpoint of religion. I was reading at the same time a article in BYU Studies about Open Theology and there were very interesting parallels between the article and the book. One of the best insights was about the biblical traces of Israelite polytheism including the Mother in Heaven Asherah and the close relation between Elohim and Allah. The history of the rise of Islam and discussion of the Koran was very interesting since I have recent
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Jul 26, 2009
Todd
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If your a religious scholar, there's probably not much here that would be news to you. However, the rest of us have plenty to learn from Wright's latest work. In many ways, Evolution of God fits in nicely was some of the recent work of Bart Ehrman (Misquoting Jesus and Jesus Interrupted) in that Wright puts forth the context and scholarly interpretations of some of the better known parts of the Bible and the Koran (i.e. The exhortation to 'Love thy neighbor' is most likely a lot more provincia
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Jul 02, 2009
Jeffrey
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Why is most of the world now mono-theistic? Was the advent truly something from the Jews, or was it simply a natural out growth of prevailing current ideals during the birth time of the philosophy? These are the questions that are asked in the book, The Evolution of God by Robert Wright.
Before reading the book, I thought this was going to be another attack on religion in the vain of Hitchens or Dawkins. After reading the book, I think that might be a tad much but it is still in the b More...
Before reading the book, I thought this was going to be another attack on religion in the vain of Hitchens or Dawkins. After reading the book, I think that might be a tad much but it is still in the b More...
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Jun 27, 2009
Extensive review in the New York Times on June 24, 2009, along with a Q&A with the author.
Looks like a good addition to the ongoing debate on the origins of morality. As an agnostic, the obvious fact "God" has evolved in fundamental ways is one of my primary objections to the Christian belief in a perfect God. For that matter, the clear fact that religions develop over time is a pretty clear indicator that they are cultural creations, and not supernatural in origin.
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Looks like a good addition to the ongoing debate on the origins of morality. As an agnostic, the obvious fact "God" has evolved in fundamental ways is one of my primary objections to the Christian belief in a perfect God. For that matter, the clear fact that religions develop over time is a pretty clear indicator that they are cultural creations, and not supernatural in origin.
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Jan 03, 2012
Mark
rated it:
Peruse scripture a little, and you can find license for whatever deed you contemplate. That's the bad news.
A closer study shows god to be the ductile creation of Man, alternately vengeful or loving, jingoistic or welcoming, as He finds expedient for the time. I feel Wright easily makes this basic point, that religion has evolved to fit "the facts on the ground" and by the time he's done, it feels like a layup. I had thought it contradictory that people could both espouse a More...
A closer study shows god to be the ductile creation of Man, alternately vengeful or loving, jingoistic or welcoming, as He finds expedient for the time. I feel Wright easily makes this basic point, that religion has evolved to fit "the facts on the ground" and by the time he's done, it feels like a layup. I had thought it contradictory that people could both espouse a More...
Jul 15, 2011
David
rated it:
An excellent book which though read from the materialist perspective (for which I am sympathetic) charts a course between rejection & contempt on the one hand and wholehearted, uncomprehending acceptance on the other.
In Wright's reading Religion is a historical & cultural phenomenon (as well as being psychological) but it is a worthwhile enterprise and belief system. Although he leaves room for the transpersonal experience he does not analyze this or pursue it rationally. His is a w More...
In Wright's reading Religion is a historical & cultural phenomenon (as well as being psychological) but it is a worthwhile enterprise and belief system. Although he leaves room for the transpersonal experience he does not analyze this or pursue it rationally. His is a w More...
Oct 02, 2010
Mike
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The first three quarters of this book, dealing with the evolution of God through the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths are both informative and enjoyable to read. Essentially, Wright makes the case that God evolved based on the changing social and political situations of the member faiths. He covers the growth of Israel from Canaanite origins (as opposed to conquering Canaan), the historical Jesus versus the scriptural Jesus, Mohammad's changing views of faith as his political situation cha
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Feb 09, 2010
Audrey
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I learned about the history of the development of religion from caveman to modern times. The author develops the idea that religion has evolved in mankind towards a moral order which can possibly provide a basis for getting along better in the world rather than cause conflict.
At the end of the book he has some discussions of conflicts of thought between believers, atheists, scientists and others. He discusses posssible concepts of god that perhaps could develop from this evolved moral ord More...
At the end of the book he has some discussions of conflicts of thought between believers, atheists, scientists and others. He discusses posssible concepts of god that perhaps could develop from this evolved moral ord More...
Feb 06, 2010
Christine
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OK, Robert Wright is a smart guy and definitely did his research well for this book. But I was hoping for a history without any opinions and he had to share! And he has his mind made up even though he likes to delude himself that he is open-minded. The religion of Robert Wright is set in stone. He also loves to use his lingo a lot, and I mean a lot. He probably think it sounds pretty suave to the ladies...he needs converts.
Anyway, if you can deal with all that and work around More...
Anyway, if you can deal with all that and work around More...
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Sep 07, 2010
John
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Wright’s “Evolution of God” is a valuable and, I think, important book. His history of the development of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) is a fascinating read and is generally perceptive and likely accurate in analysis. The historical education that this book provides is valuable, even if some of Wright’s extended conclusions are unpersuasive. Having read a number of books recently on the construction of the New Testament writings and theological developments, ther
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Oct 03, 2009
Bookmarks Magazine
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An articulate writer with a spry sense of humor, Wright offers an optimistic vision of the future of humanity. Avoiding any hint of the sermon, Wright's line of reasoning tends to straddle the middle ground of belief, "too open to theism for the [atheists and:] too rooted in scientific rationalism for the [fundamentalists:]" (Boston Globe). A few critics lamented his focus on Western religions and his insistence that monotheism is naturally superior to other types of belief systems, an
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Aug 05, 2011
Robert Wright’s does not deny of affirm the existence of God in The Evolution of God; he considers this to be beyond the ken of man. Personally I disagree. There is no God. There are also no leprechauns, fairies dancing on pins or monsters under my bed. I concede, however, that since I am not a home now to look under my bed, I am not currently sitting at the end of a rainbow and I have not done a worldwide inventory of pinheads I can not prove that any of these do not exist.
I hope you will f More...
I hope you will f More...
Nov 12, 2010
Matthew
rated it: 
Made it through as much of this as I could. I think the broader idea I understand: that our conception of God has changed fundamentally over the millenia towards a being with a greater capacity for compassion. Wright argues that this evolution suggests a divine intent - perhaps one of the more compelling philisophical proofs for the existance of a higher power. That argument seems more pleasing to me than what I remember from college of Descarte's proof for the existance of God, but to be hon
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Sep 11, 2011
Russell
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The title of this book accurately describes the book's thesis - how the "idea" of "God" has evolved over time. To a fundamentalist believer, such an inquiry will seem blasphemous, while to an atheist this theme will seem banal. This book is written for those in between those two poles, who want to know if religion has, and/or can in the future, play a part in advancing the human race.
In order to answer this question, Wright surveys the history of various religiou More...
In order to answer this question, Wright surveys the history of various religiou More...
Jul 28, 2009
Angela
rated it:
The Evolution of God is an ambitious look at how our religions tend to change along with the societies in which we live, from animism in small tribes to the rise of monotheistic religions to unite empires. Wright's detachedly bemused commentary on various religious practices throughout the world makes most of the book an entertaining read, although the last half of the book begins to drag a bit as he begins to couch his challenges in more justification. Still, as the book moves on and begins to
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Jan 18, 2012
Ben
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Read for the bookclub. A bit long in places, interesting ideas here and there, but the ultimate test of whether this book succeeds in any way might be whether it changes anyone's mind about religion or makes them more open minded to others. In the fairly diverse (for MN) group of our bookclub (1 Agnostic, 1 confused Christian, 1 devout Atheist, 2 devout Baptists, 1 wannabe Buddhist , 1 Catholic with a Jewish wife raising Jewish kids), the book made for a pleasant evening of discussion, but I saw
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Mar 27, 2011
Jignesh
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How did belief in gods come about in every known human society? What gave rise to religion? Were religious tenets truly handed down to us from gods? Or, were they beliefs conceived and shaped by human beings to serve human purposes? This is an engaging, bold and multi-dimensional book that tackles fundamental questions about god and religion in general, and about the Abrahamic God and his three faiths in particular. Wright does a remarkable job of providing a matter-of-fact analysis of evolution
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Mar 19, 2010
Seleucid
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Have you noticed how a religious debate has been happening lately, especially in my region where reverence for religion is still widespread. A group of people with different viewpoints come to discuss God and you feel the tension. People trying to adhere to comfort zones, trying to bypass the obvious while their unconscious is screaming... Until somebody stands up and yells something totally stupid and ignorant, and people start whispering "Good thing someone had the guts to say it".
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Aug 01, 2011
Lacey
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A fascinating and provoking read if you are relatively new to the material, and a well-written, thoughtful book all around. Wright refreshingly combines scholarly research with his own musings, which at times can also get frustrating (wait, what is he saying? does he think God exists or not?! which he does clear up quite clearly if you stick with him).
Some of the ideas I had previously read in Karen Armstrong's "The Bible" and "A History of God," but I found Wright's style a More...
Some of the ideas I had previously read in Karen Armstrong's "The Bible" and "A History of God," but I found Wright's style a More...
