How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion

by David DeSteno

Drawing on a wealth of new evidence, pioneering research psychologist David DeSteno shows why religious practices and rituals are so beneficial to those who follow them—and to anyone, regardless of their faith (or lack thereof).

Scientists are beginning to discover what believers have known for a long the rewards that a religious life can provide. For millennia, people have turned to priests, rabbis, imams, shamans, and others to help them deal with issues of grief and loss, birth and death, morality and meaning. In this absorbing work, DeSteno reveals how numerous religious practices from around the world improve emotional and physical well-being.

With empathy and rigor, DeSteno chronicles religious rites and traditions from cradle to grave. He explains how the Japanese rituals surrounding childbirth help strengthen parental bonds with children. He describes how the Apache Sunrise Ceremony makes teenage girls better able to face the rigors of womanhood. He shows how Buddhist meditation reduces hostility and increases compassion. He demonstrates how the Jewish practice of sitting shiva comforts the bereaved. And much more.

DeSteno details how belief itself enhances physical and mental health. But you don’t need to be religious to benefit from the trove of wisdom that religion has to offer. Many items in religion’s “toolbox” can help the body and mind whether or not one believes. How God Works offers advice on how to incorporate many of these practices to help all of us live more meaningful, successful, and satisfying lives.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Psychology, Science, Spirituality, Philosophy, Faith

256 pages, Hardcover

Published September 14, 2021

About the author

David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University, where he directs the Social Emotions Group. At the broadest level, his work examines the mechanisms of the mind that shape moral behavior. David is a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association, for which he served as editor-in-chief of the journal Emotion. His work has been repeatedly funded by the National Science Foundation and has been regularly featured in the media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, CBS Sunday Morning, and NPR's Radiolab and On Point.

He is the author of How God Works, Emotional Success, The Truth About Trust, and co-author of Out of Character. He frequently writes about behavioral science for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, Harvard Business Review, and Mother Jones.

David received his Ph.D. in psychology from Yale University.

Reviews

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I was able to receive an early copy of this book because I recently fell in love with David DeSteno’s books. Much like his other books, this one didn’t disappoint. Although I’m not a believer, as a recovering drug addict and alcoholic who got sober in 2012, I’ve seen the benefits of religion while not being a religious person. DeSteno breaks down a ton of different religious practices from various religions and uses scientific and psychological research to show how these practices can help us all live better lives. From decreasing stress and anxiety, to raising better kids, to feeling more connected with the people in our lives, there is so much we can learn from the world’s religions. This was a fantastic book, and whether you’re an atheist or a believer, there’s not a single person who can’t benefit from reading this.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve often thought about how being a football fan is essentially a religion: your community congregates at a regular time in an awe-inspiring, large space and makes gestures/sings songs in unison. If you think that premise is thought-provoking, you would enjoy this book!

DeSteno examines various “religious technologies” (e.g. coming-of-age ceremonies, kneeling to pray, impressive architecture, confession, meditation) which serve important social functions and have consequently convergently evolved across different major world religions. He takes a scientist’s perspective, citing various supporting psychology studies to explain how these technologies function and help people, while steering clear of theological questions beyond that. I just wish this book were longer. The chapters felt a little sparse even though the theses seemed so accurate and applicable!

My grandma just passed away two days ago, so this book was especially timely to me as it discussed rites around death and grieving. One of my takeaways is that leaning into ritual might help with processing and healing. The discussion of sitting shiva also served as a reminder to lean on community, to downplay ego (e.g. covering mirrors), and to alternate periods of discomfort and reprieve.

Overall, this book was super thought-provoking, intuitive, and well-explained. I definitely feel I will be applying its lessons to my life.

[Kristjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book looks at the intersection of Science and Religion by digging into the realm of human psychology and sociology to understand the impact of belief/faith, ritual/practice and cognitive dissonance encountered within a religious framework (even removed from the spiritual connections) on general health and wellbeing. This is an ambitious goal to be sure. The basic premise is that the relative success of religion through-out human history points to something they must be doing right … and the author calls these "spiritual technologies.” He then makes a parallel with the bioprospecting of biologics in the early history of modern medicine to argue that we should also be examining these spiritual technologies to see what actually works and why.

“Recent experiments have shown that even an arbitrary set of actions, when ritualized, can help people … Which rituals - which combinations of elements - work best? And it’s here that religions have a vast head start. They’ve ‘debugged’ the technologies that they’ve used through centuries."

DeSteno explores the following:

1. Infancy: Welcoming and Binding … how communities help from the very beginning of Life

2. The Formative Years: Learning What’s Right and Wrong … how the moral teaching within religions work

3. Coming of Age: Adulting Isn’t Easy … how Rites of Passage work

4. Transcending the Twenties and Thirties: Love, Connection, and (Maybe) Ecstasy … how physical intimacy works ... along with meditation and asceticism (right-handing path) and mysticism (left-hand path) to transcend the mundane into the sacred. (Echos of Dr. Campbell here)

5. The Business of Midlife I: Maintenance for the Body … how the power of belief works (Placebo effects are legit)

6. The Business of Midlife II: Maintenance for the Spirit … getting in touch with our mortality and reflecting on the end (Reconcillation and Detachment) and the midlife transition to service of others

7. Saying Goodbye: All That Lives Must Die … how ‘Last Rites” work and preparing for the End.

While all of this was very interesting and educational, it lacked solid experimental support (generally because of ethical reasons inhibiting such experimentation). In the end, this was not as illuminating as I was expecting, but still well worth the read.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#HowGodWorks #NetGalley

[Taylor Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite reads in a while. Taking a psychologist’s eye to the rituals, biodata, patterns, ceremonies and physical/emotional/psychological/spiritual benefits of world religion’s various practices throughout the life stages, DeSteno is respectful, inquisitive, and informative. I have never been confronted with so many new ideas and theories on the benefits of spirituality/religion from such an empirical perspective and thought it was such an engaging well-researched read. Religioprospecting! Spiritual technologies! Liminality!

[Rod Naquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this book; I love DeSteno’s work, primarily the podcast of the same name. Reminded me of how formative my read of Huxley’s Perennial Philosophy was. Lots to be said abt the hubris of scientism; mostly I’m taking away this idea of religio prospecting, which is where I’ve already been w my Ed leadership work. Thank you

[Jed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was some great research on the psychology of human spirituality.

[John Kaufmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. The book doesn't deal with God, beliefs, or the other metaphysical aspects of religion. Rather it deals with how the traditions, rituals, and practices of the various religions benefit humans psychologically and culturally -- how, through a process akin to natural selection over generations and centuries, these traditions, rituals, and practices have been winnowed, sculpted and adapted to enhance both individual resiliency and social bonds. These practices include singing, dancing, praying, fasting, confession/atonement, eulogizing, and ceremonies marking major life transitions (coming-of-age, marriage,, giving birth, grieving, etc.)

The author identifies three pillars common to many major faiths: 1) Belonging–-the need to be part of a group or community; (2) Becoming–-finding ways to develop our gifts, competencies, and expertise; and (3) Beyond-- the feeling there is something bigger than us. The book describes how religious practices target these three human needs. The author explains how religious practices tap into various brain networks that short-circuit isolation and negative emotions, and instead build purpose/meaning, help us through life transitions and difficult times, and nurture prosocial attitudes and behavior.

In the author's words: "Humans don’t need religion in order to be moral, successful., or happy. ... The practice of religion … offers an impressive, time-tested array of psychological technologies that augment our biology – to help us solve problems that biological adaptation alone hasn’t" -- that is, how to cope with suffering, change, death. ... And: "At heart, almost all rituals seek to bring about change – by altering how our minds encode and process information, the ways we move our bodies in space and in relation to others …"

[Wilma Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for a while. But I saved it for a little getaway, because I knew I’d be able to concentrate more on it. The book takes a look at religion and how the tenets of all different religions have created systems that work for people. It’s not about belief, it’s about what these rituals do psychologically to support people through life’s transitions. For example: the benefits of meditation for both physical and mental health. How sitting shiva helps people deal with grief. How Japanese birth rituals help with bonding mother to child. And so on. The author’s premise is that even atheists can benefit from what systems religion has developed to cope and to thrive. Worth reading at least once.

[Heidi]

I saw this book at Powells and was intrigued by the idea, it reminded me of a conversation with a friend— how you can agree that parts of a religion could be helpful, without agreeing that it is “true.” Many things I expected: religion can offer deep community and connection, a sense of certainty can make life less stressful, and believing there is a powerful Being who is looking out for you or making meaning is obviously going to enable you to deal with life’s unpredictability better— all things that will lead to a happier and healthier life. There were some pointers on how to create these outcomes that don’t involve faith or theology.

As someone who loves rituals, it challenged me to think through what sort of coming of age or saying goodbye ceremonies would honor loved ones in my life. I especially loved learning about Oshichiya (Shinto naming ceremony) and the covering of mirrors for shiva as Jews mourn. I already believed in the Buddhist’s power of meditation and have been to enough fitness classes, worship services, elementary school classrooms and concerts to know the true power of a good, body-moving sing-a-long or chant.

While I think I needed the reminder that there is wisdom to gain from how religions have helped humans throughout history, I concluded feeling disappointed by this book- “None of us know whether there is an afterlife. But we do know that the prospect of one would bring some peace of mind for believers. So why not believe? In some ways, you might be unnecessarily torturing yourself if you don’t”— is a wild and dangerous decision-making process in my opinion. As another goodreader commented, that is some real blue pill stuff I am currently not interested in.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great and beautiful dip into the benefits various religions rituals and practices. I left with more respect and awe for some really heartfelt beliefs and rituals from different religions around the world. I loved it. It was a great collection! Would recommend it to believers to understand why some things ate so important and impactful that they may be doing. Would recommend to non-believers as a view to appreciate what others are doing that bring happiness, healing, strength, etc. and for ideal for implementing your own rituals to benefit from them. What a treat this book was! A great marriage of neuroscience, spirituality, and religiosity.

[Rob Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Minus half a star for mild encouragement to believe, even if you don't.

[Zuz reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and well organized. I always find examinations of religion, the commonalities of different religions, and the exploration into the origin of traditions captivating. I certainly buy the central argument that in many ways religion and the cultural practices around it do benefit individuals.

[Jim Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good primer on the interface between science and religion.

Good basic presentation of some of the benefits of religion and the scientific basis for them. Short, easy read. Recommended.

[Ahlam Mustafa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book changed my life. I have been looking for answers on why religious rituals affect me personally for a long time.
The first 4 chapters are the most interesting, it gets a bit repetitive afterwords.
I still recommend it even if you are not a religious person, you will find a lot of useful information about how our bodies react to rituals.

[Maher Razouk · Rating 5 out of 5]

الإيمان ، الربوبية ، الإلحاد ؛ عندما يتعلق الأمر بالدين ، فإن تبني أي مذهب ما عدا اللاأدرية يتطلب منك تبني وجهة نظر ضيقة عن الله. إذا كنت مؤمنًا بالله ، فأنت تؤمن بإله معين (من النوع المتدخّل) - إله يرغب في أن تكون له علاقة معك ويمكن أن تناشده. إذا كنت من الربوبيين ، فأنت تؤمن أن الله خلق الكون ، ولكنه الآن بعيد المنال. إذا كنت ملحدًا ، فلا إله ، الأمر واضح وبسيط. نحن هنا جميعًا على أساس قواعد الفيزياء ، وعلم الأحياء ، والقوائم المحظوظة للنرد الاحتمالي الذي يتكشف باستمرار بعد الانفجار العظيم. وإذا كنت محايدًا ، فأنت تختار عدم الاختيار.

من المهم أن تدرك ، مع ذلك ، أن أي مذهب تلتزم به - حتى الإلحاد - يعتمد جزئيًا على الإيمان. إذا اخترت أن تكون ملحدًا ، فهذا إيمان بمبادئ العلم - الإيمان الذي فضلته الصدفة في هذه الزاوية من الكون. حتى ريتشارد دوكينز ، على الأرجح أكثر المدافعين المعروفين عن غياب يد الله في الخلق ، يعترف أنه لا يمكن أن يكون متأكدًا تمامًا من عدم وجود الله. نظرًا لعدم وجود اختبار علمي متفق عليه لبصمة الله ، فهو سؤال لا يمكن لأي قدر من التحليل التجريبي الإجابة عليه. وهكذا ، حتى بالنسبة لأشد الملحدين ، فإن الاعتقاد بعدم وجود الله هو مسألة إيمان ، وليست حقيقة يمكن إثباتها.
.
David DeSteno
How God Works
Translated By #Maher_Razouk

[Frrobins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book examines the science behind how religious rituals help us navigate life's trials and tribulations. It goes through the stages of life, from pregnancy to death, and examines rituals from religions as diverse as Roman Catholicism to Shinto Buddhism to explore the psychological benefits that engaging in these rituals provides. And there is some discussion on how, as secularism increases, to adapt the benefits of these rituals in a secular manner so that atheists can reap the benefits as well.

I enjoyed the discussions of how some traditions seem to have figured out the way to maximize psychological benefits in the rituals they have developed to help with a certain stage of life. According to DeSteno, Shinto Buddhist rituals that start during pregnancy and include several rituals during a baby's first year of life are some of the most effective in terms of maximizing parental devotion and empathy towards their child, while Jewish rituals are the best at helping a grieving person move through life after the loss of a loved one. I enjoyed the explanations of how these rituals offer psychological benefit and some of the anthropological observations as well.

I also found some of his observations on psychedelics interesting. I've never been interested in this topic but it keeps creeping into other things I read and despite the hype I have been skeptical about them because from what I've read it does not seem as though there is no reliable way to determine who will benefit and who will have a bad trip that leaves them emotionally devastated. I do not know the research behind DeSteno's observation that people who are unable to trust tend to have devastating experiences, but given that the few case studies I have read about people who had bad experiences with psychedelics were people who experienced abandonment in infancy or other events that would impair an individual's ability to trust I feel it would be interesting to look at someone's attachment type and early developmental history and to see if there is a correlation.

And as someone in my early forties who will be launching children into adulthood and who can retire in eight years, I found his chapters on midlife very illuminating and helpful. I would recommend that people in their forties read those chapters just for the guidance on how to navigate their fifties and how to keep their mental health strong during those years.

One quibble I have is towards the beginning of the book DeSteno makes a point to say that it is an act of faith to believe that God does not exist. I don't know why some believers cling to this so much, but it is a good way to turn off a lot of readers who are atheists, which in this case would be a shame because I felt he was very fair to secular readers and that a lot of atheists would benefit from reading this book. Perhaps it is an act of faith to say there is no God, but by that reasoning it would also take faith to not believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy and Hoth. I do think some secular people will admit to having faith in other things, such as human potential to better ourselves. But to me faith is something that you believe even though there is no evidence and that is not a bad thing in and of itself and fundamental to some religious traditions. When an atheist says they don't believe in God it's because they feel there is no evidence and would need to see that evidence to believe, which is the opposite of faith and diminishes what faith is.

Overall there are a lot of reasons to read this book, especially as you get towards midlife. Highly recommend.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

David DeSteno says he is not a religious person. He is a social science researcher. He performs psychology experiments focusing on wellness and well being. I found his book quite interesting. It turns out hundreds of studies show that people active in their religions fare significantly better in many wellness areas than non-religious, or inactive religious people do. People actively involved in their religions are happier, live longer, have lower stress, lower blood pressure, are at lower risk for many causes of death, and manage life transitions better than their secular counterparts. They are also considerably less worried about death than the other two groups. Turns out the group most concerned about death are those inactive in their faiths or undecided about God and religion.

One surprising experiment that David starts the book with is one where two groups of people are given something to eat. The control group is just given it with no instructions. The other group is instructed to perform a little ritual before eating. They are to cut the food up in eight pieces and arrange the pieces symmetrically on their plate before they eat. It turns out the group that performed the ritual ate about 280 calories less of the food than the control group. Numerous other studies confirm that religious practices boost peoples self control.

There is a chapter in the book for each major stage of life. In each chapter the author picks the rituals and practices of the major world religion that he thinks best exemplifies how religions help with this stage. For example for birth he talks about the rituals and practices of the Shinto religion of Japan and how they help both the parent and the child bond and get started in life. For death he uses the rituals of Judaism as the example.

I was a bit surprised by the authors seeming endorsement of the use of psychedelics...albeit he stressed the need to do so in a supervised setting by someone very skilled in the use of them...otherwise they can be dangerous.

In the end David believes that those leaving religion are leaving behind very valuable technologies that bring significant wellness to their lives. He argues that you can "create" your own religion and rituals and discusses ideas and ways of doing so. I'm skeptical that very many will do this...or do it in a complete and wholly "life integrated" way so as to reap the full benefits.

David points out that the data, the science, does not support the accusations of the die hard atheists that religion does more harm than good. He says the data shows just the opposite.

[Elizabeth McInerney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found listening to the audio version of "How God Works" both inspiring and life-affirming! The narrator was perfect. At a little over 6 hours, it was short for an audio book, therefore a relatively quick listen.

The author's basic premise is that all of the major religions have perfected the art of comforting and giving meaning to people's lives, over hundreds (even thousands) of years. As a scientist, he then then asks and answers (through reviewing research studies) how these benefits occur.

"How God Works" has a chapter for each path of human life, from birth, to childhood, all the way to death, and finally, how religions move people through the grieving process. The author takes readers through the commonality (mostly) and differences (some) in how various religions or groups approach the needs of people in each stage. It was fascinating to learn of the similarities between seemingly different Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Protestant or Native American practices and rituals, esp in terms of how the body and mind of practioners are affected.

I learned that while religions may have diverse concepts of God, they all appear to tap into the same mechanizims for comforting their flocks. Given that he is only discussing the secular aspects of each religion, he also explores how the non-religious can incorporate spirtual practices into their lives as well. This is helpful to understand because as society has trended away from religion, people have also trended less happy. From his epilogue "In abandoning these practices, we are abandoning tools that can benefit our lives every day".

He ends with a call for science and religion to work together, esp for scientists to be more open minded to the wealth of knowledge among the world's religions, with the common goal of maximizing the human experience.

My only objection to the book is the title, as God is absolutley not discussed. Read this to unpeel how different religions and different rituals affect the body. One example, to answer such questions as: How well prepared are various people for death? Turns out, devout people are the most prepared, those who attend services but don't embrace it are the least prepared, and the non-religious land somewhere inbetween. Or to see why/how religious upbringing affects the brain to create more moral people. But if you read this to learn about God, you will be disappointed.

The book is quite new, just released 2 months ago (Sept 2021), so it contains mentions of the Covid-19 pandemic, which also made it feel very timely.

[Anthony O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

yeah right

The author is not as non-partisan as he would have us believe, as his final sentence makes very clear.
He extols the virtues of religious practices through the ages. Health, community, guidance through traditional life stages, a calming sense of certainty. Hmmm. ‘Grace’ and ‘Faith’. Hmmm. All well developed and fine tuned over Millenia.
In places it sounds like a manual for exerting influence and mind control. Giving the subject warm inclusive feelings. And stomping his or her otherwise questioning mind into oblivion. And If you refuse to be happy …Ve have other ways ….

We supposedly need a ‘Faith’ and it’s comforting beneficial practises. In the final chapter He generously and somewhat condescendingly suggests that if you are unhappy with the traditional ones you can make up your own. Or look around for something more appealing, more comfortable.
The holy church of Santa clause and the Easter bunny perhaps. Or the magic invisible tea cup orbiting the earth who loves you dearly. But precludes all possibility of orbital satellites or space exploration lest we accidentally run into the holy tea pot.

Here’s the thing. 1. It is hard to untangle practises and beliefs. 2. Stupid beliefs sooner or later lead to stupid actions and unfortunate consequences. 3. Sooner or later dogma and fixed belief get enforced as they becomes part of the power structure. 4. Some of us don’t want happiness or comfort. We want the truth. And it may well be very bitter. So be it.

Here’s a novel idea. Forget about how it makes you feel. Don’t believe in crap for that or any others reason. Ask questions. Find out whatever bits of the truth you can. And that’s it. That’s all there is. ——- Philosophy 101. Do you want to be a happy religion-cosseted pig or an unhappy striving questioning Socrates. Or From the Matrix, The blue pill or the red pill. Religion is the blue pill. If you take the red pill you may not live as long or as peacefully … but it will be a buzz and your death fighting the machine will be glorious. Or you might even win!!

Of course It would only be sensible to incorporate a select few of the best practises found through the ages without all the nonsense if that’s possible. I meditate. It seems to work. I do not bow or pray to non existent gods. And if they did exist I would take up arms against them because they would clearly be malevolent. And just before being obliterated my final words would be …..
I’m sure we all know how that sentence ended.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is interesting (e.g., the cognitive dissonance we feel when publicly reciting religious beliefs we may not, well, fully believe can nudge us toward acting more in accordance with them), important (as a way of framing religious practice for a secular and scientific age), and ill-timed. Had it come out prior to the pandemic, it may have given all of us more motivation to try to stay connected to our faith communities during the pandemic. Hopefully, post-pandemic, it won't come to seem like a lament for religious practices which once thrived and were beneficial in more ways than we realized. (For more on that, follow the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations Study, https://www.covidreligionresearch.org/)

During the ongoing pandemic, when in-person worship and other religious practices are still not back to "normal," it can make you sad to read about and recall those things your faith community used to do. One also notices how many of these practices require gathering in person, and often in close proximity to each other, whether for a child dedication, a sweat lodge, sitting shiva, coming of age rituals and ceremonies, group prayer or song, etc. Unlike several other recently-published books I've read recently (e.g., The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2021; Louise Penny's novel The Madness of Crowds), this one takes minimal account of the pandemic, with its first mention of a pandemic actually talking about SARS, another referring to COVID as an "epidemic," another simply noting that lots of people started praying about the pandemic in 2020, and the last only mentioning it in the context of religious organizations having had to adopt social distancing. If these other books are any indication, there would have been time to incorporate the pandemic more thoroughly into the discussion here. Granted, there may not be a lot of extant research on the psychological effects of online worship (which existed prior to the pandemic) or distanced rituals, but if that is indeed the case, just say so, and encourage people to get back to "traditional" religious practice as soon as it's safe for them to do so. I wish DeSteno had given us more to go on in this particular historical moment, but hopefully this book will nudge us to fully resume our corporate, in-person, community-based religious practices when we can, and see them with new eyes.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at myreadinglife.com.

I am in the midst of a six week run of refereeing in soccer tournaments every weekend. I listened to this book while traveling to and from one of those tournaments this past weekend. Since moving away from any religious belief in a supernatural god, I have found myself missing many of the community-based aspects of religion. So when I learned about this book many years ago, it piqued my interest.

How God Works is an exercise in what its author calls "religioprospecting". By this he means looking at the world's religions and their rituals so see how they have served humanity through the millennia. After all, if they have lasted to today, there must be something valuable there. This isn't unlike the scientist who goes searching for healing concoctions in the Amazon with the hope of finding some healing aspect of a local remedy that could be repurposed for a new pharmaceutical cure. And I found the author's exploration to be fascinating and insightful.

The text starts with birth, steps through the different aspects of aging (youth, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, etc.) and ends with death and grief. In each chapter he sets out specific examples of rituals that serve the religious through those aspects of life, exploring why they work based on scientific research. As I read these chapters, I was a little disappointed he wasn't giving the reader tips for how to incorporate what was learned outside of the specific religious context. Turns out I was just a little ahead of the author. His epilogue does just that. Rather than giving specific examples, he provides thoughtful ideas for how the reader can take what they have learned from the book and create their own rituals to support themselves and those they love, regardless of religion or even the lack of any faith at all.

My rating: 4.5/5

[David Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

My biggest passion topic of late is the repercussions of the death of community in modern life. Loneliness has been declared an epidemic and while the huge and growing percentage of people with no close friends has been getting headlines, I think the loss of informal social networks (what people once got from extended family networks, churches, clubs, service organizations and neighborhood groups) might be even more critical as this is the top of the friendship funnel. I got really fired up about this reading Bowling Alone (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...), which details the death of informal social groups and the consequences of that death is 25 years old and as chilling as ever because the situation has only gotten worse.
The death of religious life is clearly one of the biggest symptoms of this problem, but selling people on religions that are at best decades out of step with the current culture isn't easy. This book doesn't promote religion, it looks at the practices of various religions and how they can make life better for individuals and communities. In the same way biologists mine the biosphere for cures to disease, the author suggests psychologists and sociologists, and really anyone hoping to create a better life, should mine the practices of religion and look for ways to make their life better.
The book is organized around the cadence of life (birth, coming of age, marriage, middle age, death) and shows how some cultures support certain moments and transitions that others ignore. The most interesting to me was the section about the transition into late adulthood. Modern Western culture has decided to ignore this transition as people well into their grey hair era chase the waistline and taught skin of someone half their age. The way other cultures deal with life post 40 sounds so much more healthy and sane.

[Jan Goericke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have looked for a book like "How God Works" by David DeSteno since I started to see a relationship between psychology and religious belief and ideologies. As an atheist, I first had to understand the differences between religious belief & teachings and the religious institutions. It lead me to understand that there are true benefits, psychologically, to religious (spiritual) belief in terms of (quantifiably) leading a meaningful and impactful life.

David DeSteno's book explores religious techniques, rituals, and symbols of various religions throughout the human life spanning birth, adolescence, middle age, and old age & death. The author describes several religious techniques in these life phases to support the individual (human condition), the immediate family, and the community. The author describes similarities between rituals of different religions and explains their effects on the practicing humans and community. The author further provides descriptions of clinical tests and statistics to support the noted effects of religious practices and rituals on humans.

Throughout the book I was impressed how well the author balanced this sensitive topic between the respect for and truthful representation of the religious practices and his scientific explanations of the measurable benefits and underlying psychological and sociological mechanisms. This makes DeSteno's work so valuable and a great starting point for further and detailed exploration. DeSteno proposes harvesting the extensive experience of 'religious technologies' for improving the lives of today's humans in increasingly secular and individualistic societies. This approach may addresses some of the ailments of today's 'modern societies' such as loneliness, rampant individualism, meaninglessness, and nihilism. Very interesting book!

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book is a bit misleading. It is not a theological treatise. It is a thoughtful and sensitive study of the beneficial influence of religion. The author, a professor of psychology, looks at different religions and rituals from a comparative sociological standpoint. He suggests that participation in praying, singing, fasting, confessing, are common elements that serve to mark individual growth and build community. He cites many studies. The Mayo Clinic looked at 42 studies which in total examined over 126,000 people and found an unmistakeable benefit: those who actively participated in religion had a 29% increased survival rate compared to others during the years they were followed.
He discusses three pillars common to many faiths: 1) Belonging - the need to be a part of a community; 2) Becoming - finding ways to develop as a growing individual; and 3) Beyond - the importance of recognizing our place in something greater than we are. In targeting these human needs rituals and religious practices work in the brain to short circuit negative feelings and help us deal with the vexing changes and challenges that are part of life.
A growing number of Americans find traditional religion irrelevant. From 2010 to 2019 the percentage of Americans who identified as Protestants dropped from 51% to 43%, while the percentage of adults who don’t identify with any religion rose from 17% to 26%. Recognizing that different people have different spiritual needs, he does not advocate for any particular approach. For some, deepening their relationship with traditional faiths is helpful. For others, loosening a a connection to a theology built around a deity while retaining other aspects of their religion. For some, creating something entirely new is worth exploring. On the whole the book encourages refocusing on what gives meaning and purpose to living a balanced life. The book includes detailed chapter notes and an index.

[Grace Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wowowow there are so many ways to apply the benefits of religions to our lives without actually having to believe in a specific theology. The millennia worth of cultural research that religions have integrated and refined allow us to see how certain spiritual technologies influence and benefit people and their mental status, and we can use this knowledge to create and use our own rituals to improve our daily lives, whether this be through meditation, spending time with our elders, having meaningful quotations we fall back on, etc.

One of the coolest things that I learned in this book is that the placebo effect works EVEN WHEN you know it's just a placebo! DeSteno referenced a study where one group was given a medication to help with some medical condition and, rather than being a double-blind study, the other was given a placebo and told that it was a placebo. One might think that because they knew it wasn't the real treatment, the placebo effect no longer worked. Rather, believing in the power of the placebo effect still allowed the placebo effect to take place; as participants believed that the placebo treatment would work solely because they believed it would and what that would do to convince their bodies of the treatment's effectiveness, it still ended working as well as a usual placebo.

This makes me think about my own spirituality--for instance, if I know that the act of praying to a higher power is good for mental health because it gives the person peace and a sense of control in their lives, can it reap the same benefits for me even if I don't believe in God? Can I experience the same effects of prayer by believing in the power of what my mind can be convinced of?

[Bob Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

We hear the debates on issues like, "Does prayer help someone in the hospital?" Or "If religion were a positive, there should be some empirical evidence for it."

In How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion, David Desteno, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University, presents his case for the benefits of religious practice. As the title suggests, he believes that religion does indeed present some benefits for people.

While he makes the case that religious practice(s) have benefits, it is important to note that DeSteno is not arguing for the truth of any particular religious system or belief or religion in general. He leaves that up to the theologians. What he does argue is that there are certain psychological benefits that have been observed and associated with religious practices.

For instance, he demonstrates that people singing or chanting together can help relieve stress and anxiety (again, people at a Def Leppard concert singing along can experience this phenomenon as well). He cites in depth the practice of sitting shiva during a period of mourning and explains the psychological and physiological benefits of these practices.

Each chapter in the book deals with a particular lifespan time (birth, adolescence, etc) and this approach is helpful for understanding the different traditions. His writing is clear and although backed up by research, is not reliant on research jargon or language. This is a very easy book to read, but challenging in its practice.

I highly recommend this book to all who deal with people in pain and are looking for some practices to help alleviate it.

Grade: B+

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book identifies common problems that happen in different stages of human life, how some religious practices deal with the problem, and how scientific research supports the effectiveness of these religious practices. The religious practices are drawn from a spectrum of religions. I was most interested in Christian practices and how science supports their effectiveness, so I skipped over all the non-Christian religious practices. So technically....I didn't really finish the book cover to cover lol I enjoyed the snippets I read, though. I learned scientific research has demonstrated religious people are more healthy mentally and physically. There's a section on the Christian practice of healing for the sick and how it can be explained by the placebo effect -- and an emphasis on how placebo effect actually works really well in boosting human self recovery and is something that should be seen as desirable. There is another section on how being certain in what happens after death is good for one's emotional well being. There's a brief discussion on Christian's view on suffering as a good thing for developing your character -- the author says research does confirm this for individuals who don't respond to suffering with blame or bitterness.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A synopsis of worldly religions from a scientific viewpoint as to how they affect a person’s well being.
Atheist view points were tied into the topics too.

The author made some good points and brought up good scenarios. Worldly religions were compared against each other in the same chapters. So if you’re looking for a specific religion like Buddhism, it is blended into the chapters and it is not as obvious until you’re reading about it.

Combing many religions and non religious view points into one chapter, made me less interested in what I was reading because of unfamiliarity. I felt like I was stretching my brain a bit to try to understand how everything related to the topic.

The writing felt more like a lose conversation about how a belief affects your life. It wasn’t scholarly writing or filled with hard vocabulary. And it didn’t go into depth trying to explain all of the religious views. It was simply touching the surface and that felt like rambling to me.

Someone with a broader background than mine or one that wants to study all of the points to have a greater understanding may have a better appreciation for this book.

[Dana Ardis · Rating 5 out of 5]

DeSteno approaches the topic of religion from the standpoint of a research psychologist, focusing on the ways that religious practices and rituals have developed to meet the needs of their followers. While scientific studies have revealed ways in which meditation reduces stress or cradling your newborn in your arms increases the bonding hormone oxytocin, religion has been finding ways to unlock such benefits for thousands of years.

DeSteno focuses especially on rituals surrounding transitions of life, such as welcoming a new baby or the changes in focus that accompany midlife milestones. Though he pulls examples from religions around the world, he makes it clear that nonbelievers can reap similar benefits outside of any religious practice.

From a world building standpoint, I found it useful to consider how people in my invented cultures might mark the transition points in their lives, what secular or cultural rituals they might have developed to direct and support community members through common life events. I took away a few interesting details that will hopefully make it into future worlds I write.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is that in the search of a scientific basis for how to live well, rather than starting from scratch, psychology should study the "spiritual technologies" of religion. It's written for the lay person and with more of a self help bent than a rigorous technical approach. There is something interesting to be found here even for atheists and agnostics. DeSteno examines how ritual takes advantage of the built in machinery of our minds to focus and unite us, how meditation opens us up to experience the transcendent, and how belief helps us process our mortality. The nonbeliever may be skeptical about these ideas, but DeSteno is careful to offer advice about the application of these spiritual technologies that does not require belief, one example being the creation of coming of age rituals unique to your family. My one complaint is that after many promises that this book takes a belief neutral approach, in the penultimate chapter he does say, you should probably just believe in God because it would stress you out less, but in my opinion he offers enough interesting advice before this point for the book to have been worth it.