Description
Book SynopsisWhat is the role of religion, especially Christianity, in morality, pro-social behavior and altruism? Are there innate human moral capacities in the human mind? When and how did they appear in the history of evolution? What is the real significance of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount — does it set up unique moral standards or only crystallize humans’ innate moral intuitions? What is the role of religious teachings and religious communities in pro-social behavior? Christianity and the Roots of Morality: Philosophical, Early Christian, and Empirical Perspectives casts light on these questions through interdisciplinary articles by scholars from social sciences, cognitive science, social psychology, sociology of religion, philosophy, systematic theology, comparative religion and biblical studies. Contributors include: Nancy T. Ammerman, István Czachesz, Grace Davie, Jutta Jokiranta, Simo Knuuttila, Kristen Monroe, Mika Ojakangas, Sami Pihlström, Antti Raunio, Heikki Räisänen (✝), Risto Saarinen, Kari Syreeni, Lauri Thurén, Petri Ylikoski.
Table of ContentsContents Foreword List of Contributors Introduction Petri Luomanen, Anne Birgitta Pessi and Ilkka Pyysiäinen Part 1 - Morality and Religion: Setting the Evolutionary and Philosophical Scene Moral Gods and the Origins of Human Cooperation Petri Ylikoski The Evolution of Morality and Religion Ilkka Pyysiäinen Religious Morality or Moral Religion? Kantian and Pragmatist Reflections Sami Pihlström Divine Evil, Godless Responsibility, Religious Happiness Mika Ojakangas Comment 1: Comments on Ilkka Pyysiäinen’s “The Evolution of Morality and Religion” Simo Knuuttila Comment 2: Religion Irrespective of Morality Jutta Jokiranta Part 2 - Morality and Early Christianity Morality and the Evolution of Christianity Petri Luomanen The Sermon on the Mount: Christian or Universal Ethics? Kari Syreeni Foundations of Early Christian Morality in the Light of Modern Argumentation Analysis Lauri Thurén Are Christians Better People? On the Contrast between “Us” and “Them” in Early Christian Rhetoric Heikki Räisänen Comment 1: Morality, Networks, and Cultural Evolution: A Short Commentary on Petri Luomanen’s “Morality and the Evolution of Christianity” István Czachesz Comment 2: Content and Motivation in Christian Ethics: Comments on Syreeni’s, Thurén’s, and Räisänen’s Papers Antti Raunio Part 3 - Morality and Christianity in Everyday Life Learning and Living the Golden Rule: Religious Communities and Morality Nancy T. Ammerman Religion and Moral Choice: Does an Innate Moral Sense Account for Religion’s Influence on Moral Choice? Kristen Monroe Religion and Morality: Empirical Illustrations Anne Birgitta Pessi Comment 1: A Theologian’s Response to Ammerman, Monroe, and Pessi Risto Saarinen Comment 2: Religion, Altruism, and Everyday Life: Some Reflections Grace Davie Synthesis for Further Discussion Petri Luomanen Index of Modern Authors Subject Index
