The Evolution of God

By: Robert Wright

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

In this sweeping narrative, which takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils an astonishing discovery: there is a hidden pattern that the great monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved. Through the prisms of archeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology, Wright's findings overturn basic assumptions about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and are sure to cause controversy.

He explains why spirituality has a role today and why science, contrary to conventional wisdom, affirms the validity of the religious quest. And this previously unrecognized evolutionary logic points not toward continued religious extremism but to future harmony. Nearly a decade in the making, The Evolution of God is a breathtaking reexamination of the past and a visionary look forward.

©2009 Robert Wright (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[An] in-depth approach yields original insights." ( Kirkus)

good theory

The evolution of God is probably one of the most interesting books that I have ever listened to. The author describes different gods that have been believed through human history everywhere from the acient Polytheistic religions of Babylon, to the development of the ancient Jewish monotheistic God, and through how the idea of that God has changed throughout the centuries. The book is western God heavy, and does not really jump into the ideas and concepts of god that exist in eastern religions. In other words this is really a history of the Abrahamic god. The main narrative of this book is that the concept of God has changed and evolved throughout the centuries with the implication that this concept of God has gotten closer and closer to the actual God. Personally, i do not think that he is presenting an Atheistic view of God, but perhaps a view that many theists do not have. If this book makes you question your concept of what God is, then perhaps the concept that you had of God was very incorrect... And really what is the likely hood that you ever had a very strong concept of what God is in the first place? Perhaps that cocksure knowledge of God, was really all a long a cover for ignorance? I am sure that many dissertations could be made made on this topic, however this is not a dissertation. This is a book that is meant for a wider audience and therefor is not necessarily to the same standard that an academic paper would. However, I do not think that just because this book is meant for a wider audience means that it doesnt have some profound things to say. I think that this theory should be expanded on further.

Extremely Interesting, but the narrator is awful

I really think that this book has a lot of interesting information, but it is almost killed by the __AWFUL__ narrator, who almost sounds like he is about to fall asleep in parts.

Excellent thought provoking book.

This book talks about so much, and there is plenty of intellectual meat for anyone with an ravenous desire for interesting and stimulating dialogues about reconciling the irrationality of the religious worldview with the rationality of the scientific worldview. But do not not think this is just about book of philosophical pondering, it is heavily reliant on historical fact and tells the story of the modern monotheistic god's birth with clarity and attention to detail.
The author shows us the intrinsically human forces that shape our religion and define our moral truth. He shows us where religion came from, where it is now, and it where it will have to go in order to be compatible with current scientific knowledge.
I would like to see Dawkins read this book and think more deeply about his superficial arguments in "The God Delusion."

Careful, balanced, engrossing history

I really appreciate the author’s approach. He is at once a careful and objective researcher into a sociological phenomenon, but also open to and fascinated by the human experience of divinity. It is neither a stiff and cynical tome nor a politically correct, pandering validation of deeply flawed but highly adaptable and even potentially socially useful traditions.

Theology for anthropoligists

Fascinating description about how the concept of God has changed over history and with local circumstances, assuming the author has the facts right. It leads to the conclusion that God is something humanity makes up as we go along. I wish it were not confined to just the Abrahamic religions.

A Must

Made this lost intellectual believe again. I can’t give this book enough praise. You should read this now!

Very interesting and thought provoking

While this audio book isn't likely to change my beliefs one way or the other, it certainly has be thinking. It details, sometime with hard evidence, sometimes with conjecture, the evolution not only of God (or gods), but the evolution of religion. From the views of the hunter-gatherer to modern man, there's a logical progression of man's view of religion, and God/gods that parallels the natural progression of society.

One of the questions this audio book hints at is whether God created man, or man created God. The latter seems the obvious answer after listening to this book. This does not negate the existence of God, but rather puts Him in perspective. Does Him being different than you imagined make Him any less important to you? If so, you probably shouldn't listen to this one, and instead read something that reinforces your beliefs.

The Evolution of God

This is a fantastic book. If you find the evolution of religious thought interesting, you will enjoy this publication. Anyone that takes the time to read this offering will understand why religions have been with us throughout history. Although, the author may not see religions in a positive light, he does believe they can help people to learn to live in harmony. Read, learn, and enjoy.

Zero sum/non zero sum ruined this book for me.

If you are not well versed in the terms "zero sum" and "non zero sum", then do some research before starting this book. Starting in about chapter 7 the book becomes saturated with these terms without any good explanation. The author doesn't offer a decent explanation until chapter 19, but by then I was so frustrated by the terms, and so annoyed with hearing them over and over and over, that I couldn't stand it anymore. If you can get past the zero sum/non zero sum references, then everything else makes for a decent book if you're interested in how religions have evolved over the centuries.

Intellectually fascinating and an analytical approach

I really enjoyed the content of this book and the narration. Some points were a little hard to follow and I'd have to listen to it again to let the idea sink in or get myself back on track.