Evolutionary Psychology and the
„God Delusion‟
a talk by
Kelly Clark
Professor of Philosophy, Calvin College
Philosophy Resource Room (AS3 #05-23)
Monday, 2 February, 2008, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
(Moderator: Dr. Loy Hui Chieh)
Abstract: Dawkins‟ The God Delusion and Dennett‟s Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural
Phenomenon claim that God exists in the mind alone; God is a human creation, a collective
illusion or a delusion fobbed off on us by our genes. What has turned God into a delusion? What
has broken religion‟s seductive spell? In a word: Science. In a few words: cognitive psychology,
evolution in general and evolutionary explanations of religious belief in particular. Evolution and
genetics, so it is claimed, explain God away; rational belief in God is crushed; “rational faith” is
an oxymoron. Belief in God is in bad shape these days. I examine the claim that evolutionary
explanations of religion undermine the rationality of belief in God. I first discuss the findings of
the cognitive psychology of religion which suggest that we have a natural, built-in god-faculty.
Then I consider evolutionary explanations of the origin of the god-faculty and the alleged
consequences that follow. Finally I critically discuss arguments that claim to demonstrate that
evolutionary psychology undermines rational belief in God.
About the Speaker: Kelly James Clark is Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College and
Executive Director of the Society of Christian Philosophers. He is author of over fifty articles
and author, co-author or editor of over a dozen books including Return to Reason, The Story of
Ethics, Philosophers Who Believe, and 101 Key Philosophical Terms and Their Importance for
Theology.
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