An atheist's history of belief : understanding our most extraordinary invention / Matthew Kneale.
Material type:
TextPublisher: Berkeley : Counterpoint Press, [2014]Description: 262 pages ; 24 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 1619022354
- 9781619022355
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 200.9 K68 | Available | 33111007516475 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
A poetic synopsis of the history of spirituality and belief from a renowned novelist and captivated nonbeliever
What first prompted prehistoric man, sheltering in the shadows of deep caves, to call upon the realm of the spirits? And why has belief thrived since, shaping thousands of generations of shamans, pharaohs, Aztec priests and Mayan rulers, Jews, Buddhists, Christians, Nazis, and Scientologists?
As our dreams and nightmares have changed over the millennia, so have our beliefs. The gods we created have evolved and mutated with us through a narrative fraught with human sacrifice, political upheaval and bloody wars.
Belief was man's most epic labor of invention. It has been our closest companion, and has followed mankind across the continents and through history.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 244-250) and index.
Inventing gods -- Inventing paradise -- Inventing deals with God -- Inventing the end of the world -- Inventing humble heaven -- Inventing a religion, inventing a nation -- Inventing elsewhere -- Inventions from the underground -- Inventing witches -- Inventing new comforts.
Traces the roots and history of faith, from the primordial to the contemporary, examining how people establish their beliefs and the development of specific aspects of faith through historical events.