The Evolution of God - Robert Wright

I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.

The book maily addresses (via discussions) two main points:
First, a historical record (although somewhat debatable) of how the concept of God has evolved over time in human society. How it started as the hunter-gatherer's view of gods attributed to their experience of natural events to the roles of chiefdoms & shamons, then to monolatory and finally monotheism as it exists today in all Abrahamic religions (Juadaism, Christianity and Islam).

Second, the evolution of a truly moral God as it exists today. Looking at history of religious sciptures this was not always the case. It is as if God has matured over time to become the just, forgiving, morally righteous God known today.

The gist of the story is that religion and thus the concept of God has evolved in response to the social and political conditions on the ground and vice versa. Religion in time has served needs not just of worship or spiritual pleasures but of governance of states, trade and thus economy. It is only in our time that there is a quite clear distinction between religion and other matters of governance commonly referred to as the 'separation of church and state'. In most of human history at least in the times when these religions were born this was not the case - Religion was the law of the land.

The author also briefly touches upon the discrepancies between biblical records and archaelogical evidence which are very interesting to note. Also time and again he points out the difficulties involved in interpreting religious scriptures and how this leaves room for mis-interpretations either purposeful or mistaken.

Hinduism and Chinese religions are seldom touched upon in this work. The only significant mention was of how the violent teaching(s) from the opening passages of the Bhagwat Gita were downplayed by Mahatma Gandhi.

The final chapter of the book discusses the possible biological reasons for the origin of religious concepts themselves (in human minds) which is very nicely summed up in conclusions such as "Religion arose out of a hodgepodge of genetically based mental mechanisms designed by natural selection for thoroughly mundane purposes"

The only part to overlook is a chapter on religion and terrorism which seems completely out of context for this book. Other than that the book is outstanding. It clearly undermines the simplistic view of religion that people portray.