God's Brain

February 15, 2010
Given the stresses of life, the human brain often turns toward religion as a fruitful source of "brainsoothe"reassurance that comes from religious beliefs, communal activities, and human associations that optimize the brain's chemical profile. So contend anthropologist Tiger (anthropology, Rutgers Univ.; "Men in Groups") and psychiatrist McGuire (psychiatry & behavioral sciences, emeritus, UCLA; "Darwinian Psychiatry"), who offer chapters on religion and sex, morality, socialization, liturgy, and brain chemistry, among others. They conclude that "religious socialization leads to predictable, desirable outcomes among believers. Were this not the case, participation would decline." The authors write here for a lay audience, offering interesting anecdotes, personal experiences, and witty turns of phrase. Nonetheless, the book is distressingly short on empirical data, and Tiger and McGuire too often assume their own authority: they fail to distinguish generalizations from self-evident truths, present prima facie observations as obvious facts, and pass off hunches as demonstrated conclusions. They pay lip service to scientific method but offer only an intriguing premise in place of a tested hypothesis. VERDICT Pass on this one. Instead, try Andrew Newberg and others' "Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief", or Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman's "Born To Believe: God, Science, and the Origin of Ordinary and Extraordinary Beliefs".Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

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