Biological Evolution and Prevalent Theories Regarding the Origin of Religion: A Review and Critique

A review of the major orientations regarding the origin of religion reveals that prevalent theories are inadequate. Various prominent theorists established paradigms explaining how religion began. These accepted orientations do not coincide with biological evolution, anthropological evidence, or modern people's reported experience. Biological theories provide a basis for evolutionary explanations of religion. Two recent theories, based on evolutionary processes, could be tested by comparing paranormal, religious,and anomalous experiences gathered from a variety of cultures. Some anomalous experiences affecting religious beliefs are predicted to have structural features which are consistent cross-culturally. Such universal features reflect biological bases. Verification of this hypothesis would support the argument that processes associated with certain experiences affecting religious belief have been shaped through evolutionary processes.