Book Thoughts: The Invention of Religion by Alexander Drake

The Invention of Religion by Alexander Drake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Despite the perhaps controversial title, this book is more an exploration of psychology and the evolution of how beliefs (including religious beliefs) are formed, evolve, and develop. The book is not a "neutral" examination however; it reads as an argument put forth by the author to convince the reader that religion is something constructed entirely by man. In putting the forth the argument, the author relies both on logic, and the sharing of various experiments that have been done that demonstrate, in part, how belief is formed. As it is written as an argument, the writing itself is solid, but nothing spectacular.

What I found to be the strength of the book were the many experiments and studies it shared in support of its argument. From double blind studies on the effectiveness of prayer, to studying the ability to act in contravention of one's own conscience in obedience to an authority figure, to the increase likelihood of humans to think about religion and God when also thinking or caused to think about mortality, the author's use of the information is effective in putting forth his case. I also enjoyed the use of the infamous "cargo cults" that developed following WWII on various Pacific islands as a persuasive tool by the author.

All that said, because the book is an argument, it will be for each reader to decide for himself or herself the value of the argument, and the soundness of the suppositions the argument rests upon. For that reason, this is a somewhat hard book to read in isolation; its a book calling to be read as part of a group or a class, so that the author's argument can continue through dialogue and discussion among readers.

Not necessarily a great book, but a book that presents interesting information in support of an argument on a difficult topic, that thereby creates a forum for possible further discussion and reflection to occur.

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