This is the first time I have ever managed a blog. This may be apparent to some. As stated elsewhere, the purpose of this blog is to subject my thoughts on the importance interfaith dialogue to public scrutiny and dialogue. And of course, I do so from the contextual perspective of a progressive, “well educated,” Protestant Christian, located squarely in the buckle of the “Bible Belt” which wraps around the Southern United States. Thus far, I have focused my attention on the need for Muslim-Christian dialogue and I will continue to do so as opportunity is afforded.
For this next foreseeable stretch, however, I am interested in exploring the implications of a sociobiological approach to “religion” as a way to further and promote deeper interreligious understanding. This is a new approach for me and I am still finding my way around but I find it so compelling that I am willing, even if it takes a bit longer to present my findings, to follow it out as far as it goes. The term “Sociobiology” refers to a relatively new field in the study of human behavior. As the term suggests, among other things, it is a hybrid of Sociology and Biology; in particular, sociology and evolutionary biology. Sociology is the study of conditioned human behavior and comparatively, what I would call evolutionary sociology, posits that in addition to the socialization or “nurture” that we receive, our biology plays a significant role in our behavior.
Darwin’s theory of Evolution argues that the human animal is the product of a complex series of genetic biological adaptations. This brings to mind the most well know feature of his complex theory, that of the survival of the fittest. He tells us that, “If [and when] a mutation (a ‘copying error’) occurred in the genes, and it provided the creature some survival advantage, this benefit would be passed on to its offspring through the process of natural selection.”[1] Is “religion” just such an adaptation? This is one question I will be exploring as we move forward.
[1] Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species: 150th Anniversary Edition, (Alachua, Bridge Logos, 2009), 20.
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