Individually inspected, the exterior and cover have little wear. Inside there is some discoloration on the inside cover and first page as well as along the outer edges of the pages when the book is closed. Notes appear throughout in red ink, but the pages themselves are structurally intact. Sturdy book! Individually inspected, the exterior and cover have little wear. Inside there is some discoloration on the inside cover and first page as well as along the outer edges of the pages when the book is closed. Notes appear throughout in red ink, but the pages themselves are structurally intact. Sturdy book! See less

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The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures Paperback – September 28, 2010

by Nicholas Wade (Author)

4.3 186 ratings

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A New York Times science reporter makes a startling new case that religion has an evolutionary basis.

For the last 50,000 years, and probably much longer, people have practiced religion. Yet little attention has been given to the question of whether this universal human behavior might have been implanted in human nature. In this original and thought-provoking work, Nicholas Wade traces how religion grew to be so essential to early societies in their struggle for survival, how an instinct for faith became hardwired into human nature, and how it provided an impetus for law and government. The Faith Instinct offers an objective and nonpolemical exploration of humanity's quest for spiritual transcendence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Highly intriguing...In this probing work of science reporting, New York Times correspondent Wade sheds light on what is sure to bea controversial new field of research in evolutionary psychology, genetics and anthropology...A turning point, and advancement, in the science-religion debate."
-Kirkus Review

"[In The Faith Instinct], longtime New York Times science reporter Wade deftly explores the evolutionary basis of religion. He draws on archaeology, social science, and natural science as he vigorously shows that the instinct for religious behavior is an evolved part of human nature...Wade's study compels us to reconsider the role of evolution in shaping even our most sacred human conditions."
-Publishers Weekly

"The Faith Instinct is a big winner! Its highly intelligent and much- needed narrative about why religions have proved essential to human success kept me engrossed from its beginning to its final pages."
-James D. Watson, author of The Double Helix

"There is so much...in this compact account, including cultural-evolutionary explanations of the three great monotheisms-enough, in fact, to make it a cornerstone of popular religion-and-science studies."
-Booklist

"It is a rare book that will be read as eagerly by religion's defenders as by its detractors. Building on his rightly admired Before the Dawn, Nicholas Wade has written just such a book."
-Jack Miles, author of God: A Biography

"As he did earlier for human prehistory in Before the Dawn, Nicholas Wade has delivered the most balanced and fact-based account available of a subject fundamental to human self-understanding. His scholarship is thorough, and his writing crystalline and exciting."
-Edward O. Wilson, author of Consilience and The Future of Life

"Instead of attacking or defending religion, as so many have done lately, the biggest challenge is to explain how we became the only religious primate. In a spell-binding and wide-ranging account, Nicholas Wade offers a natural history of religion and convincingly explains why the phenomenon is here to stay."
-Frans de Waal, author of The Age of Empathy

"Of all the recent books on religion, I believe The Faith Instinct is simultaneously the most complete, the most correct, and the most accessible to the general public. Wade tells an extraordinary story in which morality, community, and religion are three strands of the same rope. Free of jargon and partisanship, The Faith Instinct is full of fascinating and up-to-the- minute scientific discoveries."
-Jonathan Haidt, author of The Happiness Hypothesis

"With his new book, New York Times science reporter Nicholas Wade positions himself as a serious challenger to Steven Pinker for the title of Best Living Popularizer of the Human Sciences."
-The National Review

About the Author

Nicholas Wade received a BA in natural sciences from King’s College, Cambridge. He was the deputy editor of Nature magazine in London and then became that journal’s Washington correspondent. He joined Science magazine in Washington as a reporter and later moved to The New York Times, where he has been an editorial writer, concentrating on issues of defense, space, science, medicine, technology, genetics, molecular biology, the environment, and public policy, a science reporter, and a science editor.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0143118196
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group; Reprint edition (September 28, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780143118190
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143118190
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.73 x 8.44 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #704 in Sociology of Religion
- #843 in Sociology & Religion
- #1,355 in Science & Religion (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 186 ratings

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Nicholas Wade

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Nicholas Wade is the author of three books about recent human evolution. They are addressed to the general reader interested in knowing what the evolutionary past tells us about human nature and society today.

One, Before the Dawn, published in 2006, traces how people have evolved during the last 50,000 years.

The second book, The Faith Instinct (2009), argues that because of the survival advantage of religion, an instinct for religious behavior was favored by natural selection among early human societies and became universal in all their descendants.

A Troublesome Inheritance (2014), the third of the trilogy, looks at how human races evolved.

Wade was born in Aylesbury, England, and educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences. He became a journalist writing about scientific issues, and has worked at Nature and Science, two weekly scientific magazines, and on the New York Times.

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides an interesting and compelling view of religion. They appreciate the explanation of the evolution of religion without condemning it. Readers enjoy learning about primitive hunter-gatherer religious practices and how they led to later developments. The writing quality is praised as well-written, concise, and engaging. The pacing is described as interesting and provocative.

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Religion Writing quality Pacing

29 customers mention "Religion"26 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's exploration of religion. They find it compelling and interesting, with an explanation of its evolution without condemning it. Readers appreciate learning about primitive hunter-gatherer religious practices and how they led to later developments. The book provides the latest research and insights, holding faith from a scientific perspective.

"...The Faith Instinct" discusses, with great care and excellent logic, recent thinking about how religion may have begun..." Read more

"...I certainly enjoyed learning about primitive hunter-gatherer religious practices and how they led to later developments in religious thought...." Read more

"...It gives a fascinating and compelling view of what religion is, how it arose, how it has evolved, and how it has benefited the groups that have..." Read more

"...In anycase, there are interesting ideas, that, at a more foundational level, as described in the trance and music section, seem to hold strong..." Read more

23 customers mention "Writing quality"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and engaging. They describe it as an important, compelling account of the development of religion around the world. Readers praise the book as authoritative and readable.

"...Wade's account is enlightening (as noted), provocative, and exceptionally readable." Read more

"...a strong interest in and respect for religion, this is the best of the dozen or so books I've read on religion in the last few years...." Read more

"...Nicholas Wade has written an important book. Although its impact on the world may be protracted, it will be very significant...." Read more

"...All in all i recommend reading the book, but I definately would read a lot more than this book to draw real conclusions about the subject matter...." Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and engaging. They appreciate the good explanations and compelling case presented in an interesting way.

"...Wade's account is enlightening (as noted), provocative, and exceptionally readable." Read more

"...Beyond that, it presented a compelling case in an interesting way. Recommended for people interested in religion and its history." Read more

"...It gives a fascinating and compelling view of what religion is, how it arose, how it has evolved, and how it has benefited the groups that have..." Read more

"...The only thing was it was a little repetitive at times. But interesting and good explanations...." Read more

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John P. Lorand
Nicholas Wade does it again
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2010
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I particularly enjoy books that paint with a broad brush. Wade's previous book, "Before the Dawn", presents much of what has been discovered about how Homo Sapiens spread around the globe, evidently starting about 50,000 years ago in the horn of Africa. "The Faith Instinct" discusses, with great care and excellent logic, recent thinking about how religion may have begun (with totally egalitarian hunter-gatherer groups some hundreds of thousands of years ago), what purpose it served (creating cohesion within groups, the better to prevail against attacks by neighboring groups), its practices (dance, music, and appeal to gods), and how it changed with agriculture and the rise of cities (no longer egalitarian, but with social stratification and religious leaders). The conclusions Wade discusses are based upon observation of a few hunter-gatherer groups in the 19th and 20th centuries, by anthropologists who lived with the groups and learned their languages. A major insight that struck me is the paradox that hunter-gatherer groups love the members of their own tribe, while hating those of other tribes. This shines light on modern xenophobia, and helps explain the ability of modern humans to act sometimes beneficently, and at others, malevolently. Thus, we continue to seek revenge, and to set up cycles of violence. Wade's account is enlightening (as noted), provocative, and exceptionally readable.

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Robert Hayes
An interesting theory, compellingly presented
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2017
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THE FAITH INSTINCT is a book which aspires to explain why religion and belief have had such a hold on humanity for so long by approaching it from an evolutionary perspective. Essentially, religion evolved as one of many strategies for survival and social cohesion. Nicholas Wade acknowledges that science hasn't quite caught up sufficiently to explain or verify a lot of what he proposes, some of which is based on minority sociobiological theories, but much of it at least sounded plausible to this layman. I certainly enjoyed learning about primitive hunter-gatherer religious practices and how they led to later developments in religious thought. My only complaint is that there was little attention paid to Eastern religions and how they fit into the religious evolutionary tree, instead rehashing the "three monotheism." Beyond that, it presented a compelling case in an interesting way. Recommended for people interested in religion and its history.

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11 people found this helpful

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Robert E. Thorne
An fascinating, respectful discussion of religion and its origins
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2011
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As a physicist with a strong interest in and respect for religion, this is the best of the dozen or so books I've read on religion in the last few years. It gives a fascinating and compelling view of what religion is, how it arose, how it has evolved, and how it has benefited the groups that have adopted it. It is far more compelling - including in its scientific basis - than the books by Dawkins, Hitchens, and the like.

I've read several of the negative reviews of this book. Many misrepresent the scientific points made by Wade, and misunderstand the broader implications of his arguments for, e.g., understanding religions other than the western monotheisms or the rise of the secular state.

I found the discussion of the roots of Islam especially fascinating. I had always assumed Muhammad was a historical figure whose life and battles were well documented by the historical record outside of Islam - but this apparently is not true.

The last quarter of the book, that deals with more recent trends, is weaker than the rest. But overall, this is a fascinating book that - if you approach it with an open mind - will transform how you think about religion.

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22 people found this helpful

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Skeptical Scientist
Faith in Biology
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2010
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The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures

Nicholas Wade has written an important book. Although its impact on the world may be protracted, it will be very significant. Wade discusses the evolutionary and cultural roots predisposing humans to faith in beliefs beyond tangible evidence. Wade's approach is not polemical - rather somewhat detached - in the sense that here is the observation and here is reasonable explanation of how this came to be.

This is a very successful approach since readers can assimilate the ideas in a non-confrontal manner and make up their own minds whether the arguments are worthy of taking on board. Whatever one may think of Wade's arguments and explanations for the human condition, they will make you think. That in my opinion is Wade's most important contribution. The more persons (especially Americans) who read this valuable contribution the better the world will become. I sincerely hope there soon be an Arabic translation if one does not already exist. Highly commended.

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Daveheart
Unkonzentriert geschriebene Darstellung einer simplen These mit dubioser Bibliographie
Reviewed in Germany on September 3, 2016
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In "The Faith Instinct" versucht Wade zu ergründen, ob und wie die Entstehung religiösen Verhaltens in einem evolutionären Paradigma erklärt werden kann. Seine Erklärung lautet: Religion ist aus evolutionärer Sicht kein bloßes Nebenprodukt einer gelungenen Adaption, sondern bietet selbst einen Selektionsvorteil bzw. ist selbst eine Adaption. Worin besteht der Selektionsvorteil? In der Fähigkeit von Religion, Individuen dazu zu bringen, ihre partikularen Interessen dem Gemeinwohl unterzuordnen. Religion stiftet Gemeinsinn und fördert gruppenkonformes Verhalten. Im langen evolutionären Wettstreit verschiedener Menschengruppen haben sich diejenigen Gruppen durchgesetzt, die überlegene Loyalität und Einheitsgefühl in den Mitgliedern hervorbringen konnten. Religion war zu diesem Zweck ein effektives Mittel. Auf diesem Weg schlug sich die Neigung, religiöses Verhalten zu zeigen, auch im Genom der überlebenden Menschengruppen nieder, wie es etwa auch für die Neigung zur Sprachentwicklung vermutet werden kann.
Die These an sich ist nicht unplausibel und wurde schon Jahre früher propagiert (vgl. die Bücher von E. O. Wilson, Matt Rossano u.a.). Was allerdings bei Wades Darstellung stört, ist sein unkonzentriertes Schreiben und sein dubioser Endnotenapparat. In teils langen Abschnitten sammelt er Kuriosa aus der Welt der Religion und der angrenzenden Gebiete, die nicht direkt zur Unterstützung der These dienen. So bleibt das Lesen zwar nicht uninteressant, aber thematisch ist das Buch eben nicht immer zielgerichtet, sondern scheint, wie es gerade kommt, interessante Themen aufzugreifen.
Ebenfalls schade ist die Qualität der verwendeten Literatur. Wade greift nicht selten auf populäre und reißerische Titel zurück, um seine Thesen zu stützen (etwa Huntingtons "Kampf der Kulturen" oder Barrie Wilsons Werke). Seine Abhandlung zur Entstehung des Islam ist für den Verlauf des Buches gänzlich unnötig und präsentiert schlankerhand eine absolute Minderheitenmeinung als überlegene Theorie. Wissenschaftliche Literatur findet sich zwar auch, allerdings wird der Lesegenuss durch die durchwachsene Bibliographie getrübt.
Das Buch bekommt drei Sterne, es ist eben "nicht schlecht". Die sehr gelungene Aufmachung sowie der günstige Gebrauchtpreis wiegen den teils dürftigen Inhalt leider nicht auf.

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Bruno Lumachi
Nicholas WADE, un grande archeologo!
Reviewed in Italy on May 24, 2016
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Ma anche un narratore insuperabile: con linguaggio semplice e chiaro spiega cose difficili. L'ho acquistato perchè l'edizione in italiano non mi convinceva in alcuni punti. Ora è tutto OK.

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Richard Preschel
Its approach is onesided and naïve
Reviewed in France on July 24, 2014
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Religion isn't universal. Magic and superstition are so are funeral rites that can be very different in each culture. Believe in supernatural beings (whatever you mean by that) isn't universal.

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an excellent text that covers a unique phenomenon....
Reviewed in Canada on July 10, 2011
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Nicholas Wade clearly sets forth his premise, that we are genetically destined for religious behavior, and creates a clear and easily read text to describe and illustrate why he feels that this premise is true. The highlight of the text, however, lies not in this area, but, rather, in his highly insightful summaries of the origins of ancient and present-day religions. Clearly humans do have a genetic propensity to seek out both a greater reason for life other than the few decades in which we are allowed to experience it and that we have an innate belief in a metaphysical experience that transcends life itself.

While I am in full agreement with the concept of morality being an inherited trait, as shown through the inclusive studies of Jean Paiget, the additional labeling of our leanings toward the supernatural as being 'religion' is somewhat misleading. Religion, as the author points out, has been a production made up of 'smoke and mirrors' in order to satisfy man's need for closure in this matter. Instead of using the term 'religion gene' if Mr. Wade had developed a term which encompassed the universal search that mankind has had for the eternal, this matter would be much clearer and less misleading. As it stands, the author recognizes the probable genetic and/or evolutionary tendencies toward a greater understanding of the universe and our life entwined within it but, deservedly so, labels religions as being formulated on untruths and myths, always seeking power and control over the populace and having an exclusive and warlike nature about themselves.

That being said, I highly recommend this book for both the potentials of our spiritually genetic makeup and for the honest evaluations of the man-made religions that have been created as a faulty attempt to deal with these needful desires.

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goneXC
Fascinating account of religion
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2010
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One of the most interesting books I have read recently. Nicholas Wade gives a clear, well written account of the origins and evolution of religion (note: this is NOT a knock-down of religion) with persuasive evidence that it is hereditary. He does not seek to account for the presence/absence of any deities and I recommend it for anyone with an inquiring mind regardless of their faith or lack thereof.

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