Theology after the Birth of God Atheist Conceptions in Cognition and Culture [Paperback]

Engaging recent developments within the bio-cultural study of religion, Shults unveils the evolved cognitive and coalitional mechanisms by which god-conceptions are engendered in minds and nurtured in societies. He discovers and attempts to liberate a radically atheist trajectory that has long been suppressed within the discipline of theology.1. The Gods are Born  and we Have Borne Them 2. Anthropomorphic Promiscuity and Sociographic Prudery 3. The Scientific Discipline of Theology 4. Arguing about Axiological Engagement 5. Religious Family Systems 6. Letting Gods Go: Naturalism and Secularism 7. Theology after 'the Birth of God'

A sophisticated and significant exploration of the implications of the biocultural study of religion; important not only for theologians and philosophers, but for all those interested in the role religion plays in the world today. With a series of entertaining metaphors, Shults guides us through the ways our evolved cognitive mechanisms both generate and constrain, in sometimes dangerous ways, our religious and anti-religious discourse. He makes a compelling case that this new paradigm is a profound game changer that no serious discussion of religion can responsibly ignore. I believe the same can be said of this book. - John Teehan, author of In the Name of God: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Ethics and Violence (2010)

Theology After the Birth of God is a valuable part of any atheist's library. Sun Tsu taught us to know our enemies; Shults teaches us that gods are not only man-made, but an inevitable byproduct of evolution. This information is devastating to the concept that gods are real, as Shults shows exactly how they are made, shaped, and used to the advantage of those in charge. He then takes the next step of teaching us how to use this information toward the betterment of society. Shults answers once and for all, how so many people can believe in a god and still be wrong. - David Silverman, Presilc^