Recent polls report that 96% of Americans believe in God. Why is this? Why, despite the rise of science, technology, and secular education, are people turning to religion in greater numbers than ever before? Why do people believe in God at all?
These provocative questions lie at the heart of How We Believe, an illuminating new study of God, faith, and religion by best-selling author Michael Shermer. Offering fresh and often startling insights into age-old questions, Shermer’s new book explores how and why humans put their faith in a higher power, even in the face of scíentific scepticism. With characteristic logic and intellectual intensity, Shermer investigates such compelling topics as
– What it means to believe or not to believe in God today
– The evolution of religion as a powerful human institution
– “Is God Dead?” Why Nietzsche and Time magazine were wrong
– What 10,000 Americans said in reply to the questions, “Why do you believe in God?” and “Why do you think other people believe in God?”
– “Proofs” of God’s existence and what they tell us about faith
– How we can find meaning in an apparently meaningless universe
Whether believers or nonbelievers, we are all driven by the need to understand the universe and our place in it. Journeying to the heart of this ancient and mysterious desire, How We Believe is a brilliant tour de force that should be read by anyone trying to find a path to enlightenment.