The Fracture of An Illusion

Science And The Dissolution Of Religion. Frankfurt Templeton Lectures 2008

by Pascal Boyer and edited by Thomas M. Schmidt, Michael G. Parker, Elisabeth Grab-Schmidt and Wolfgang Achtner

Book cover: The Fracture of An Illusion

Extent: 112 pages

Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

Subjects: Religious Studies

Series: Religion, Theologie und Naturwissenschaft / Religion, Theology, and Natural Science

Series volume number: 20

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(August 2010)

ISBN: 9783525569405

Price: $63.00

On back order

Pascal Boyer argues that religion is largely an illusion. The anthropologist traces religion’s cognitive and evolutionary aspects. By religion he means a kind of existential and cognitive package that includes views about supernatural agency (gods), notions of morality, particular rituals and sometimes particular experiences, as well as membership in a particular community of believers. The package, however, does not really exist as such. Notions of supernatural agents, of morality, of ethnic identity, or ritual requirements and other experience, all appear in human minds independently. This implies that there is no such thing as a conflict between science and religion. Boyer takes the reader onto a journey through science and the dissolution of religion.

  • By (author) Pascal Boyer
  • Edited by Wolfgang Achtner
  • Edited by Elisabeth Gräb-Schmidt
  • Edited by Michael G Parker
  • Edited by Thomas M Schmidt