Born Believers: The Science of Children’s Religious Belief

The debate over nature vs. nurture has been around at least since the time of Shakespeare, and thrived under Charles Darwin and his sometimes controversial discussions of human evolution. Barrett (Why Would Anyone Believe in God?), senior researcher at Oxford’s Centre for Anthropology and Mind, presents a masterful discussion of whether children are born with a natural ability to exercise faith in God. The author systematizes the phenomena accompanying the belief process, offering a fine overview of recent research and scholarly discussions on the subject of children and belief. His studies transcend national and religious boundaries, bringing together the commonalities among Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other believing communities in ways that support the idea that religious belief, while sometimes considered childish by some post-Freudian rationalists, is, in fact, “a fundamental and healthy part of human existence, springing from cognitive systems that if removed would remove our humanity.” Barrett’s analysis represents a major addition to the literature discussing the natural bent toward belief, and should be widely read. (Mar.)