A Phylogenetic Approach To Religion

The Evolution of Religions: A History of Related Traditions. Thousands of religions have adherents today, and countless more have existed throughout history. What accounts for this astonishing diversity?

This book demonstrates how evolutionary systematics and philosophy can yield new insight into the development of organized religion. Combining evolutionary theory with a wealth of cultural records, the book explores the formation, extinction, and diversification of different world religions, including the many branches of Asian cyclicism, polytheism, and monotheism. It deploys a graphic system of evolutionary trees to illustrate historical interrelationships among the world’s major religious traditions, rejecting colonialist and hierarchical “ladder of progress” views of evolution. The Evolution of Religions marshals compelling evidence, starting far back in time, that all major belief systems are related, despite the many conflicts that have taken place among them. By emphasizing these broad historical interconnections, this book promotes the need for greater tolerance and deeper, unbiased understanding of cultural diversity, which may be necessary for the future survival of humanity.