Evolving Brains, Emerging Gods: Early Humans and the Origins of Religion

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By E. Fuller Torrey ’59

Published Sept. 27, 2017

Religions and mythologies teach that God or gods created humans, but atheist and humanist critics have tried to argue that religion is a human invention. E. Fuller Torrey draws on neuroscience research in Evolving Brains, Emerging Gods (Columbia University Press) to propose that religious belief is the byproduct of evolution.

Paw in print

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PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
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July 2025

On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.