Lunchtime Discussion Group - Evolution and Religion

Dine and Discuss in a friendly environment!

Join our popular Lunchtime Discussion Group for an afternoon of friendly conversation whilst dining at a local restaurant.

This month we'll be discussing Evolution and Religion. We'll be considering questions such as: When did humans develop spiritual thought? Is there an evolutionary basis for religion? What role has religion played in human social history? And in our increasingly secular world, why has it endured?

In his book How Religion Evolved, evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar tracks religions origins back to what he terms the 'mystical stance' - the aspect of human psychology that predisposes us to believe in a transcendent world, and which makes an encounter with the spiritual possible. Dunbar argues that this instinct is not a peculiar human quirk, an aberration on our otherwise efficient evolutionary journey. Rather, religion confers a benefit on our individual health and wellbeing, but, more importantly, it fosters social bonding at large scale, helping hold fractious societies together.

Robin Dunbar is not an advocate of religion. In fact, he's a patron of Humanists UK. If Dunbar is right, what are the implications for us in a society where the role of religion is becoming increasingly less important?

About Discussion Group

Our discussions can cover any socially relevant issue. Participants decide on the topics for discussion based on their interests. From evolution to anthropology, from economics to psychology, from the environment to . . . anything that catches your interest.

If you want to contribute, we’d ask you to prepare something that has fired up your imagination. Contributions might be sharing ideas from a book or article you’ve read, or simply an idea that you’ve researched. Individuals will submit a written summary of their idea before the meal.

On the day, the group will question, discuss and assess the implications. If you want to come along to listen and comment, that’s fine too. The aim is to engage a group of like-minded people who enjoy understanding and challenging each other’s ideas.