Discovering God: The origins of the great religions and the evolution of belief (By Rodney Stark)

Discovering God: The origins of the great religions and the evolution of belief

(By Rodney Stark)

~ A Review by Vimal Kodai ~

Dr. Rodney Stark

Rodney Stark raises various issues about the beliefs in God while he maintains a clear but concise picture of the evolution of such a belief with the passage of time. Discovering God: The origins of the great religions and the evolution of belief is a book that has been written after thorough and arduous research was done on many subject matters evolving around the theme of the origins and nature of great religions on our planet. Having examined various religious beliefs and all the several origins of the beliefs surrounding the idea of the presence of a divine being, Stark is very admirable as he masters many aspects of this subject with true conviction. He is an author whose insights and aspirations about such a topic is far from being underestimated. His research and profound studies on this theme gives rise to a perfect intuition about how the idea of Discovering God can be very illuminating and truly enlightening. He perceives religious beliefs and the evolution of religions as a ideal which surpasses the very touch which we, humans, can always rely upon while we can always depend on possessing such a perception which is only truly adapted to the glory of this divine presence’s omnipotence. Stark has a theoretical model which is setup in such a way that it will address the evolution of human cultures from its biological roots to its mechanical and social perceptions.

Stark adopts a frank and structured emphasis on the plausible evidences of a divine being. This has been instated and well-framed by human beings. Mr. Stark examines many stages that are initiated by the primitive societies of the ancient times, he focuses on the idea of our becoming accustomed to cultures that have evolved from extensive accounts on how creation came into being, the author even emphasizes on the universal features of human societies; and, he explores contemporary approaches to the biological, cultural and theological implantation of religions on our planet.

While he fetches for many thematic solutions that are always pervasive in the minds of humans, he handles the idea of How to Discover God with such enthusiasm that his book does not escape from the readers’ mind without any boundaries. The writer has a very socio-theological way of handling the many appointed religions on our planet.

While being adapted to the idea of “Credibility”, and by accepting such a theme as the basis and source to the acceptance of a divine being, Rodney Stark states: “It is one thing to possess a religious culture, but it is something else to convince others to accept it.” (p. 51) Stark also feels that mysticism and mystical experiences have revealed parallels to the paranoid darkness in which many humans identify themselves with the supernatural and unbalanced forces. Thus, as he even states that in every society, people differ in their religious tastes, he mentions that the intensity of our faiths and beliefs depend upon our religious preferences.

As he frontiers the many areas which encompass religions and religious beliefs, the writer of Discovering God: The origins of the great religions and the evolution of belief attacks many key themes that evolve around many extensive accounts of how creation came into being; these are namely: many cultural evolutions, inventions of God, Ghost Theories, Fairy Tales, Revelations, Catholic Saints, Epic of Gilgamesh; Aztec, Mayan & Inca religious practices, tribal practices in Tigris-Euphrates Valley, Greco-Roman Cybelene narratives, Greek Gods, Cults and Mithraic faiths; The Pharaoh God, Monotheism, Rulers and Priests, Sacrifices and its several origins and purposes; Roman religions, Moses, Polytheism, Missionizing, Religions in the Indus Valley, Vedic Gods, The Vedas, Sin and Salvation, Upanishads and Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Chinese Gods, Religion in ancient China, Gods and ancestors, Priest and Rituals, Taoism, Confucianism, Folk religion, The Rise of Christianity, The historical Jesus, The theological Christ, the Christian Doctrines, Sacraments, The Pagan intellectuals, Mecca and its admirable traditions, The Prophet Muhammad, The Medina, The Qur’an, Allah, Building an Arab State, Muslim Sectarianism, Social Control of religions and Divine Inspiration.

Another Edition of the book by Dr. Stark

With such themes and main topics well-addressed in this book of his, Rodney Stark provides a concise and thorough study of many profound religious beliefs of our planet. This book analyzes many various religious roots and many religious faiths all with a melodiously honest approach. Stark’s broad study and in-depth analysis of the subject matter undertaken in his masterpiece does not leave his readers without any further doubts. The latter is able to maintain a perfect discipline while going through each and every chapter of this writer’s esteemed book.