Shop top categories that ship internationally
This item cannot be shipped to your selected delivery location. Please choose a different delivery location.
Similar items shipping to Netherlands
NL
Netherlands
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

  • The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures

Follow the author

Get new release updates & improved recommendations
Nicholas Wade
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why It Endures Hardcover

by Nicholas Wade (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars (193)
For at least the last fifty thousand years, and probably much longer, people have practiced religion. Yet little attention has been given, either by believers or atheists, to the question of whether this universal human behavior might have an evolutionary basis. Did religion evolve, in other words, because it helped people in early societies survive?In this original and controversial book, Nicholas Wade, a longtime reporter for the New York Times's Science section, gathers new evidence showing why religion became so essential in the course of human evolution and how an instinct for faith has been hardwired into human nature. This startling thesis is sure to catch the attention of both believers and nonbelievers. People of faith may not warm to the view that the mind's receptivity to religion has been shaped by evolution. Atheists may not embrace the idea that religious expression evolved because it conferred essential benefits on ancient societies and their successors. As The Faith Instinct argues, however, both groups must address the fact, little understood before now, that religious behavior is an evolved part of human nature.How did we evolve to believe? Wade shows that the instinct for religious behavior is wired into our neural circuits much like our ability to learn a language. Religion provided the earliest human societies with the equivalents of law and government, giving these societies an edge in the struggle for survival. As a force that binds people together and coordinates social behavior, religion supported another significant set of social aggression and warfare. Religious behavior, both good and ill will remain an indelible component of human nature so long as human societies need the security and cohesion that belief provides.Social scientists once predicted that religion would progressively fade away as societies advanced in wealth and education. They were wrong. The first objective and nonpolemical book of its kind, The Faith Instinct reveals that to understand the persistence of faith, one must first acknowledge that religious behavior is embedded in human nature.
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Penguin Press HC, The
  3. Dimensions
    6.75 x 1 x 9.75 inches
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Customers also bought or read

Page 1 of 1Start over
Previous page
  2. Book cover A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History
    A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History
    Paperback
    EUR13.29
    EUR 7.74 delivery Thu, May 7
  3. Book cover A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
    A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
    Paperback
    EUR11.49
    EUR 7.68 delivery Wed, May 6
  4. Book cover Taking Religion Seriously
    Taking Religion Seriously
    Hardcover
    EUR18.65
    EUR 7.88 delivery Thu, May 7
  5. Book cover The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution
    The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution
    Paperback
    EUR10.88
    EUR 8.41 delivery Wed, May 6
  8. Book cover The Evolution of God (Back Bay Readers' Pick)
    The Evolution of God (Back Bay Readers' Pick)
    Paperback
    EUR8.34
    EUR 8.41 delivery Mon, May 11
  9. Book cover Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos
    Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos
    Hardcover
    EUR18.62
    EUR 8.58 delivery Wed, May 6
  10. Book cover Kant: A Revolution in Thinking
    Kant: A Revolution in Thinking
    Hardcover
    EUR22.93
    EUR 8.81 delivery Wed, May 6
  11. Book cover Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus
    Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus
    Hardcover
    EUR14.42
    EUR 8.58 delivery Wed, May 6
  12. Book cover The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
    The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
    Paperback
    EUR10.14
    EUR 8.41 delivery May 11 - 21
  13. Book cover Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress
    Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress
    Paperback
    EUR7.83
    EUR 8.38 delivery Wed, May 6
  15. Book cover Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire
    Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire
    Hardcover
    EUR17.07
    EUR 8.41 delivery Wed, May 6
  16. Book cover Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought
    Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought
    Paperback
    EUR7.63
    EUR 7.88 delivery Wed, May 6
  17. Book cover Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe
    Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe
    Paperback
    EUR14.06
    EUR 7.74 delivery Wed, May 6
  18. Book cover Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution
    Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution
    Just released
    Hardcover
    EUR21.09
    EUR 8.58 delivery Wed, May 6
  20. Book cover Keeping Together in Time: Dance and Drill in Human History
    Keeping Together in Time: Dance and Drill in Human History
    Paperback
    EUR30.91
    EUR 7.74 delivery Wed, May 6
  21. Book cover The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding
    The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding
    Hardcover
    EUR14.91
    EUR 8.38 delivery Wed, May 6
  22. Book cover Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why
    Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why
    Paperback
    EUR8.50
    EUR 7.68 delivery May 11 - 22
  23. Book cover How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures
    How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures
    Hardcover
    EUR29.86
    EUR 8.58 delivery Wed, May 6
  24. Book cover The Human Condition: Second Edition
    The Human Condition: Second Edition
    Paperback
    EUR20.36
    EUR 8.41 delivery Wed, May 6
  25. Book cover Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind
    Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind
    Preorder
    Hardcover
    EUR22.18
    EUR 7.88 delivery Mon, May 18
  26. Book cover The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s
    The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s
    Hardcover
    EUR19.47
    EUR 9.16 delivery Wed, May 6
Next page
Loading...

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003B3NVZY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Press HC, The
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 0.01 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.75 x 1 x 9.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars (193)

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Nicholas Wade

Nicholas Wade

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Nicholas Wade is the author of four 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.

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

The Faith Instinct (2009) argues that religious behavior evolved because of the many benefits religion brings to society, from enforcing morality to energizing defense against enemies.

A Troublesome Inheritance (2014) discusses the biological basis for the emergence of human races.

The Origin of Politics (2025) traces evolution's reach in shaping both human nature and the structure of human societies, setting the framework for today's politics.

Wade was born in Aylesbury, England, and educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences. He has worked at Nature and Science, two weekly scientific magazines, and, for many years, on the New York Times, where he was an editorial writer and science editor.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
193 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book provides a thorough review of how faith and religion evolved, offering useful insights into their purpose. The writing style receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as well-written and succinct. The accuracy of the conclusions receives mixed reviews, with several customers noting unproven assumptions in the text.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

37 customers mention content, 33 positive, 4 negative
Customers appreciate the book's content, particularly its comprehensive review of faith and religion, and its scientific approach to understanding spirituality. One customer mentions enjoying the insights into primitive hunter-gatherer religious practices.
...bit... disappointed by the secon half of the book.. but think it's worth reading for the firstRead more
This book is very good and explains much about why humans need any religion....Read more
I thought it was unique and profoundRead 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
6 customers mention writing style, 6 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as well-written and succinct.
Well written succinct account of the development of religion all over the world....Read more
...He is very clear and articulate and seems to have a solid grasp of any subject he is writing about. "The Faith Instinct" is no different....Read more
...Very we'll written and authoritativeRead more
Writing is scholarly but at times choppy. Straight to the point no apologies offered. We'll balanced and non confrontational.Read more
7 customers mention accurate conclusions, 4 positive, 3 negative
Customers have mixed opinions about the book's conclusions, with some noting unproven assumptions and speculations without evidence, while one customer finds it based on science and fact.
...The Faith Instinct" discusses, with great care and excellent logic, recent thinking about how religion may have begun...Read more
Unproven assumptions, deductive method of reasoning and arguing, poor and baseless conclusions make this work a pointless reading exercise.Read more
The book is a non bias account of how and why religion evolved and was successful. The only thing was it was a little repetitive at times....Read more
...book is mainly a collection of poorly supported and superficial assumptions and suppositions, and a very superficial reading of current world affairs...Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • David J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by Nicholas Wade
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I always enjoy reading books written by Nicholas Wade. He is very clear and articulate and seems to have a solid grasp of any subject he is writing about. "The Faith Instinct" is no different. He gives you the theory's about why its believed religion evolved to be such a prominent feature in human history and lays out the evidence for you to make up your mind. He is very fair and does not come across like he wants to put down any faith or the beliefs of religious people. I can't wait to read his book on the origin of politics.
    Helpful
     Report
  • George Ogden
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking book
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    As an atheist, I often feel like a square peg in a land of round holes. Why are so many people around me religious, when it makes no sense to me? The Faith Instinct throws up hypotheses that do a good job at answering that question. Taking the perspective of an evolutionary biologist, he starts with the pre-moral instincts of reciprocity and empathy in primates and discusses how they would have developed in hominids and eventually man. He talks about the origin of the sense of the supernatural in dreams and trances after group dances. It's not a big leap from there to the development of religion as a way to keep everyone working for the good of the community - because the spirits watch over you all the time - and putting their lives on the line in war - because you are fighting for the right side and god is on your side. (Incidentally, his thesis depends on the reality of group selection in evolution, a disputed position.) The most controversial section is his secular hypotheses (backed with appropriate, if selective, scholarly references) about how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam started. This will certainly raise hackles among believers. He goes on to talk about how religious societies are more adaptive in many matters including intra-society trust and trade and inter-society warfare.The end of the book is its weakest part - where he tries to envision a future linkage of our "religious instincts" with our science-based view of the universe. Despite his weakness in looking ahead, his ability to look back and see the growth of our species with a new perspective makes this book worth reading.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • John P. Lorand
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nicholas Wade does it again
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    10 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Robert E. Thorne
    5.0 out of 5 stars An fascinating, respectful discussion of religion and its origins
    Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    24 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Esme
    5.0 out of 5 stars loved it!
    Reviewed in Canada on July 3, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A well-written book which probes the origins of the most primitive religions and it's people. He makes the point that religion helped people bind together and become more stable and committed to shared values and goals. This in turn led to a survival advantage. Wade backs up all that she says with research, authors' quotes and philosophers' writings. It is a fascinating read and leads you to think of many questions. If you are a thinker, and interested in Darwin's theory of evolution, I would highly recommend this book. This is one of the best books that I have read on this topic. If you are a creationist, probably don't buy it in the first place.
    Report
  • Daveheart
    3.0 out of 5 stars Unkonzentriert geschriebene Darstellung einer simplen These mit dubioser Bibliographie
    Reviewed in Germany on September 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    Report
  • Bruno Lumachi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nicholas WADE, un grande archeologo!
    Reviewed in Italy on May 24, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    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.
    Report
  • goneXC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating account of religion
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    Report
  • Richard Preschel
    3.0 out of 5 stars Its approach is onesided and naïve
    Reviewed in France on July 24, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    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.
    Report
See more reviews