Physical The Natural And The Supernatural

Defends a unified conception of human nature and a view of what is natural that can cover both the physical and the psychological worlds.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1861 Edition.

This book provides a general introduction to the biological and evolutionary bases of religion and is suitable for introductory level courses in the anthropology and psychology of religion and comparative religion. Why did human ancestors everywhere adopt religious beliefs and customs? The presence and persistence of many religious features across the globe and time suggests that it is natural for humans to believe in the supernatural. In this new text, the authors explore both the biological and cultural dimensions of religion and the evolutionary origins of religious features.

This book provides a comprehensive discussion regarding the sacred aspects of human existence in their relationship with the material world.

Exploration of how medieval people categorized the world, concentrating on the division between the natural and the supernatural.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1883.

Did Moses turn rods into serpents? Does Uri Geller bend spoons? Did Socrates and Joan of Arc have spirit guides? Did Daniel Home levitate? Natural and Supernatural is the first full survey of the subject for over a century.