Theological Incorrectness: Why Religious People Believe What They Shouldn't

by D. Jason Slone

"Ask two religious people one question, and you'll get three answers!"
Why do religious people believe what they shouldn't--not what others think they shouldn't believe, but things that don't accord with their own avowed religious beliefs? This engaging book explores this puzzling feature of human behavior.
D. Jason Slone terms this phenomenon "theological incorrectness." He demonstrates that it exists because the mind is built it such a way that it's natural for us to think divergent thoughts simultaneously. Human minds are great at coming up with innovative ideas that help them make sense of the world, he says, but those ideas do not always jibe with official religious beliefs. From this fact we derive the important lesson that what we learn from our environment--religious ideas, for example--does not necessarily cause us to behave in ways consistent with that knowledge.
Slone presents the latest discoveries from the cognitive science of religion and shows how they help us to understand exactly why it is that religious people do and think things that they shouldn't. He then applies these insights to three case studies. First he looks at why Theravada Buddhists profess that Buddha was just a man but actually worship him as a god. Then he explores why the early Puritan Calvinists, who believed in predestination, acted instead as if humans had free will by, for example, conducting witch-hunts and seeking converts. Finally, he explains why both Christians and Buddhists believe in luck even though the doctrines of Divine Providence and karma suggest there's no such thing.
In seeking answers to profound questions about why people behave the way they do, this fascinating book sheds new light on the workings of the human mind and on the complex relationship between cognition and culture.

Genres: Religion, Psychology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Science, Theology

168 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Onyango Makagutu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it

[Nasrin Shila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting thoughts, , , really, human are so complex and can have so many contradictory thoughts, , , I didn't like some parts of the beginning that much, ending was better, , , overall it was okay, but it could be better

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many great questions and a very decent attempt at answering them.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

[Diane]

Recommended by a minister friend, who said it's "A great explanation and challenge to think more logically and critically about God, religion, tradition, and doctrine and to asses the understanding implicit in everything."

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really incisive look at the reason for religious doctrine and religious practice often being two completely different things. Compelling and well-researched, Slone's book is a valuable addition to any library of religious studies.

[Gwern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moved to gwern.net.