What is the point of studying religion scientifically and why isn’t it done more readily?
Religion, as a human universal, cries out for a scientific explanation. Explaining religion is an important part of understanding human nature and human culture. But as the evolutionist D. S. Wilson has said, we know more about the evolutionary biology of the guppy fish, than the evolutionary biology of religion! We need to cultivate a space where religion is no longer a scientific taboo topic in universities and in public discourse. There are several obstacles to studying religion scientifically. Many religious folk don’t like science scrutinizing religious beliefs; many scientists don’t want to examine religion out of fear of offending religious sensibilities; Then there are some atheists among scientists who believe (mistakenly), that studying religion as a legitimate scientific topic morally justifies the existence or importance of religion. My view is that we need to explain, with the best tools of science, religion’s impact on human behavior; for too long we have relied on opinio
