The Power of Faith: Mother Nature's Gift

by Glass, Jay D.; Goodall, Jane

• ISBN13: 9780966053609
• ISBN10: 0966053605
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-08-01
• Publisher: Donington Pr

Summary

The Power of Faith: Mother Nature's Gift is a comprehensive explanation of the origins of our religious behavior and feelings. It examines the reasons why religion is the most ubiquitous aspect of human cultures and why our bond to our God is so strong that sometimes we will kill in His name. From sin through suicidal terrorism and the critical role of faith in our emotional well-being, a logic-tight and fact-based description of the beginnings of human religions in behaviors that a played a role in the natural selection and the survival of the human species. Dr. Glass takes the evolution, intelligent design, and religion versus science debate and puts it all together into one comprehensive package. He shows how our desire to worship a supreme being serves the same purpose as when our animal ancestors put their faith and trust in the leader of their pack, their supreme being (aka dominant male) so they will be protected from harm. Our faith and trust in a protector, is as necessary to survival as is breathing, and one that is encoded in our genes. Central to Dr. Glass' argument is the profound role of faith in God to our psychological well being. He describes faith as "Mother Nature's naturally occurring antianxiety drug," expressed by the poet Robert Browning as: "God's in His Heaven, all's right with the world." Indeed, as science explains the cosmos and the origins of life and shrinks the role of God in our lives, we have not abandoned our feelings of "spirituality" and faith, since thanks to Mother Nature, it is a part of being human, as constant and inescapable as is the love of a mother for her child.

Author Biography

Jay D. Glass received a dual Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology, l971, and began his professional life with a career in academic medicine. After ten years with numerous publications, grants, and awards to his credit, he obtained an Exec.MBA and went on to help pioneer the health-care side of venture capital. In l987 Dr. Glass founded the largest single-partner fund in the U.S. and served on the boards of private and public companies. Now retired, he divides his time between Laguna Beach and Jackson Hole, writing, making frequent appearances as a guest on radio and television discussing the animal origins of human behavior, and working for animal and wilderness conservation.