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The idea of this book developed from a university course on the prehistory of religion run by the author over a number of years. Its main emphasis examines ‘traditional’ religions; that is, those that are transmitted orally or experientially rather than ‘book’ religions such as Christianity, Judaism or Islam. Hayden’s theoretical perspective explicitly employs cultural ecology to explain why religion developed and how it continues to evolve today. In this context, belief emerged as an evolutionary mechanism that enabled humans to cope with the stress and crises experienced by our early human ancestors. To quote the author:
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A 2005 study studied this question.
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