Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

to anthropomorphic gods

to nonanthropomorphic gods

studies on efficacy of

as talking to God

unanswered

precocial species

pre-emptive disqualification strategy

Presley, Elvis

pretending

price-inversion effect

priests

alliance with political leaders

“bedside manner” of

collaborating with scientists

condemning fanatics by

as “Father”

guilds of

and love of God

moral authority delegated to

penalties for failure to obey

religion as Priestertrug

in vetting scientists studying religion

vocations after Vatican II

prions

prison population, religious affiliation and

private religions

probability amplitudes

profession

versus belief

continuity in

science doing more than

uniformity of

Professor Faith

progress

Prohibition

promiscuity

promises

pronunciation

proofreading enzymes

pro-social norms

Providence

Prozac

Psalms

psychic forces

psychic surgery

psychoanalysis

psychology

divisions in

evolutionary

folk

memes versus constraints of

study of religion by

public opinion

pudus

“pull yourself up by your own bootstraps”

punishment

Puritans

Pyper, Hugh

pyramid schemes

Pyysièainen, Ilkka

Â

QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter (Feynman)

quantum electrodynamics

questioning

questionnaire design

questionnaire for belief in God

quid pro quo bargains

Quine, W. V. O

Quinian crossword puzzle

Â

rabbis

racism

rain dances

Ramachandran, Vilayanur

Ramadan

R & D (research and development)

randomness

Rappaport, Roy

Rapture

rational choice

rationales

represented

See also free-floating rationale

rationality

rats

Ratzinger, Cardinal

reading, religion compared to

Reagan, Ronald

“Real Patterns” (Dennett)

receptor molecules

recipes

“red-diaper babies”

reductionism

red wine

reflection

reflexivity

Reform Judaism

regularities, environmental

rehearsal

reinforcement, random

relativism

moral

of truth

religion

academic smoke screen for

“acute” versus “chronic,”

artifice and design in practices of

as attractive nuisance

births of

as bringing out the best in people

buyer’s guide to

can science study religion?

concern that investigation will destroy

core phenomenon of

as costly

defining

designed features of

devotion to

division of labor in

early days of

essence of

evolutionary underpinnings of

evolution of

going bad

growth market in

hypotheses on future of

legal and social status of

as making us better

meaning of life provided by

money-theories of

and morality

music compared with

as natural phenomenon

need for scientific examination of

now what do we do?

number of religions

pearl theory of

philosophy contrasted with

as Priestertrug,

putting allegiance to democratic principles above

raisons d’être for

raw materials of

roots of

religion (cont.)

sacrifices on behalf of

scientific research on

sexual-selection theories of

should science study religion?

sweet-tooth theories of

symbiont theories of

systematic invulnerability to disconfirmation in

today

what it can do for you

why break the spell

See also cults; faith; folk religion; God (gods); organized religion; prayer; ritual

Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought (Boyer)

religious avowals, everyone as outsider to others’

religious experience

replication

codes for

as condition of natural selection

of DNA

of ideas

See also cultural replicators; differential replication

representing our representations

reputation

research

interdisciplinary

questions for further

theological

research and development (R & D)

resolution

revealed religion

revelation

revival preachers

revolution of the proletariat

rewards

in heaven

otherworldly

rhabdomancy

rhyme

rhythm

Richerson, Peter

Rifkind, Basil

ritualas

awesome show

as cost of religion

as distraction from root phenomenon

of folk religion

as memory-enhancement device

rationales for

research questions about

selection for talent for

self-perpetuating

susceptibility to

RNA viruses

robots

Rock

“rocket science, ”

Rocks of Ages (Gould)

role model, God as

Roman Catholic Church on alcohol

Catholicism center in brain

Catholicism gene

“design review board” processes in

doctrinal emphasis of

on evolution

on miracles

no salvation outside the Church

possible future of

scientific confirmation sought by

in spread of AIDS

on transubstantiation

vocations after Vatican

Romance languages

romantic love

Rooney, Andy

roses, sweetness of smell of

rote learning

Rougement, Denis de

Rouse, V.

Rowling, J. K.

Ruby Ridge

Rue, Loyal

rule of law

rules, personal

runaway sexual selection

Rushdie, Salman

Â

saccharine

Sacks, Oliver

sacred, the

“sacred dishonesty, ”

sacred texts

copying of

disrespecting

dying to protect

in historical arguments for existence of God

inerrant interpretation of

selectivity among

See also Bible

sacred values

sacrifices, religious

sacrifices on behalf of religion

sacrilege

saintliness

Saint Matthew Passion (Bach)

salvation

Sam (gas pumper)

Sanctity of Human Life, principle of

“sanctuary, ”

Santa Claus

Satan

satanic cults

Satanic Verses, The (Rushdie)

Schelling, Thomas

Schönborn, Christoph

schooling of fish

science