Jim read and liked Sara's review of The Evolution of God:

"It took me about a month to get through this book (won on goodreads - yay!), not just because it's long but because the topic is extremely deep, making it impossible to quickly tear through. I enjoyed it a lot, and reading in small doses allowed me ...more It took me about a month to get through this book (won on goodreads - yay!), not just because it's long but because the topic is extremely deep, making it impossible to quickly tear through. I enjoyed it a lot, and reading in small doses allowed me time to ponder each section. Probably anyone else who reads this will end up taking their time as well.

The author makes a case for how the concept of a god has evolved throughout time. He opens with a look at more "primitive" religions (or even those not technically considered a religion but more spiritual), then goes on to examine the Torah, the New Testament, and the Koran, discussing when each section was written, the atmosphere in which the writings were put to paper, as well as how people's interpretations of each holy book, religious figure, even the notion of God, has evolved based on the times and the situations at hand. The book isn't called The Evolution of God for nothing. It really makes you think!

There are a number of thought-provoking suggestions in this book, and nearly every section was fascinating (I found a few parts too dry or too heavily reliant on a few sources). Robert Wright suggests that religion has always existed because people want a way to comprehend the seemingly inexplicable. He makes the argument that as people's intellectual capability and scrutinizing ability has increased, religions as well have evolved to meet their needs and stand up to scrutiny. Religion has seemed to provide answers for so many things, past and present. And for events that don't occur the way people of a faith believe that they should... how wonderful that all religions seem to have loopholes!

The examination of what the three Abrahamic religions have in common was fascinating. It was interesting to see this examination from a historical point of view, seeing how contradictions in the books can be easily explained based on historical events at the time, increasing cultural awareness, and the needs of the people. Through this lens, the author also considered which parts of each book (and oral tradition) are likely factual, which are probably fabricated or exaggeration, and which ones whose accuracy we'll never know. I learned quite a bit.

I imagine that some will assume, without even reading it, that this book is an attack on religion. It isn't. In fact, I came away unsure about the author's own beliefs. True, there are sections that dealt with inconsistencies or conveniences that religions have, but there are also parts that make cases for why religion is important and how God could indeed exist. At one point, the author states that regardless of how "real" you find the emotional power of religion, you can't argue that there is real power there. So true!

If you're someone who thinks that your own idea of God is the only way to see things and that your own holy book is 100% literal and infallible, well, you probably shouldn't read this (as if you'd seek it out!)... and we probably should never talk religion. On the other hand, if you enjoy books that make you think critically, and you are open to ruminating on the meaning and power of God and religion, this is a book you'll enjoy.(less) "

Jim read and liked diana's review of The Evolution of God:

"Overall, I think The Evolution of God is an excellent overview of how modern views of God and religion developed. The book is remarkably broad in its scope, tracing the evolution of a number of pagan and all three Abrahamic religions, yet I rarely fe...more Overall, I think The Evolution of God is an excellent overview of how modern views of God and religion developed. The book is remarkably broad in its scope, tracing the evolution of a number of pagan and all three Abrahamic religions, yet I rarely felt that Wright did not adequately cover a subject. Rather, this book has sparked my interest such that I am now planning to do much more reading about biblical history and archaeology.

My major complaint about this book is that Wright was incomplete in his perception of his own biases. He is aware of some, certainly, and is generally quite good at pointing out both sides of issues and giving a well-balanced portrayal of uncertain or controversial topics. However, there are two main aspects that he forgets to address.

The first is gender bias. He continually describes racial and ethnic tolerance and amity as the pinnacle of moral evolution, yet uses all terms for people as interchangeable with "men." The few times he mentions women, they are a bullet point on a list of things that men might want, along with cattle, money, and prestige. Negating the humanity of half of the population without a trace of irony while whining that the Israelites liked the Israelites more than all the other people does not win you points.

The second problematic aspect of all this is that he seems to write with the assumption that a universal morality exists. His more philosophical arguments are based on the concept of "moral evolution," a concept he never even defines, much less proves the existence of.

That being said, the problem areas by no means dominate the book. They are easy to skip through if need be and, if you share his biases or beliefs, may in fact be quite interesting. The bulk of the book is evidence-based and completely fascinating. I was able to read this account about God from an atheist evolutionary psychologist with the speed usually reserved for non-fiction. Note that this is coming from an atheist whose feelings towards evolutionary psychology range from extreme skepticism to contempt.(less) "

Jim read and liked Todd's review of The Evolution of God:

"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 ...more 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 provincial than we were taught in Sunday school).

Wright's aim is much more than just an attempt to get the record of some well-known religious ideas straight. Wright is really writing a response to the more strident anti-religious works of Dawkins and Hitchens. Wright is not a religious man, but he does try to make the argument that religion speaks to humanity's moral progress and the possibility that there is meaning in the universe. What exactly is that meaning? I'll let you read the book to find out, but it has very little to do with an avuncular guy wearing a white robe.

Wright works through his arguments with a sense of fairness and levity that makes this somewhat lengthy book seem much shorter. (less) "