Disbelief : The Origins of Atheism in a Religious Species

Does God exist? This straightforward question has spawned endless debate, ranging from

apologists’ supposed proofs of God’s existence to New Atheist manifestos declaring belief in God a harmful delusion. Losing Our Religion peels back the curtains on this debate and uses cutting-edge science to tell the story of how atheism arises and spreads in our uniquely religious species.

It’s undeniable that religion is a core tenet of human nature. It is also true that our overwhelmingly religious species is also as atheistic as it’s ever been. Yet, no scientific understanding of religion is complete without accounting for those who actively do not believe. In this refreshing book, Will M. Gervais, Phd., a global leader in the psychological study of atheism, shows that the ubiquity of religious belief and the peculiarities of atheism are connected pieces in the puzzle of human nature. By examining how atheism comes to be in our religious species, Gervais offers new insights on belief and morality. Losing Our Religion provides a radically cohesive theory of both faith and atheism, showing how we became a uniquely and universally religious species, and why many are now abandoning their belief.

Through a firsthand account of breakthroughs in the scientific study of atheism, including key findings from cognitive, developmental, and evolutionary psychology, this book forces a rethinking of the prevailing theories of religion and reminds both believers and atheists of the shared psychologies that set them on their distinct religious trajectories. Losing Our Religion tells us how we became religious, why we’re leaving faith behind, and how we can get along with others across the religious divides we’ve culturally evolved.