Concepts: A ProtoTheist Quest for Science-Minded Skeptics

Rating:
Summary: Worth the challenge
Review: A challenging, very articulate and extremely well researched book. It ponders the vast topic of origins, from the universe to life and the questions of civilization. Who am I? Why am I here? What is next? A great reference book to and own and re-read.

Rating:
Summary: Thoughts on the origin and nature of today's religions
Review: As the author is quick to point out, an obvious characteristic of life is purposefulness. As living creatures, we all have a sense, either unconscious, conscious, or both, of purpose. But how does this purposefulness, or "Life-Urge" fit into how we view ourselves, from a religious point of view?

Carleton says there are four main ways in which people can do this. First, one can view oneself as "Me." That is, the sense of purpose is one's own purpose and no more. Second, one can view oneself as a living being among many living beings, all of whom have a sense of purpose. Third, one can view oneself as part of Life, which has a unified Purpose (basically, a Buddhist point of view). Fourth, one can view oneself as an entity whose purpose is secondary to what really counts, namely one or more Goddesses or Gods and Her, His, or Their Purpose. The author strongly prefers the second of these viewpoints, which he calls "prototheism."

This idea is contrasted with what today is practically a majority concept, namely the fourth point of view: ascribing the Life Urge to a single Deity. Of course, monotheistic religions today generally prescribe specific theologies, sets of beliefs, and practices to vast numbers of people. But Carleton shows that even now, there are alternatives for people who want more flexibilty, freedom, or privacy in their religious practices.

Still, all this is the icing on the cake. I left out decribing the cake, namely the initial chapters of the book. Here, Carleton starts with an excellent summary of the origin of Catholic Christianity (there are appendices that discuss Protestantism, Judaism, and Islam). He starts with the origin of the concept of deities, but adds that when one considers, say, fire to be a deity, it "closes out any attempt to learn the true nature of fire."

Given the tendency for origins to be viewed in religious ways, Carleton gives some more excellent summaries....of the way we view origins scientifically. In roughly sixty impressive pages, he covers the origin of our Universe, the origin of the Earth, the origin of life on Earth, the evolution of life to arrive at humans, and the origin of human society and of societal theistic beliefs (if you think all this is easy to write, you try it). After that, he speculates about the attributes of the conscious and unconscious parts of our thinking and responses, and how that has contributed to our sense of purpose and of religion.

So what is to be done about the fact that much of the world is monotheistic today? Carleton basically advises tolerance, not potentially risky and disruptive confrontation. Attitudes are changing. Let them. His recommendations are to move in a direction (towards prototheism) that he feels we are heading in anyway.

I recommend this book. Nobody is going to agree with every single point in it, but it has plenty for us all to think about.

Rating:
Summary: A deep well
Review: Carleton has done our homework for us. Concepts, his book for science-minded, religious skeptics, is like a visit to a deep well. For the well-read, it is a fresh drink of familiar knowledge gained only after years of dry searching. For the newly initiated, it is a baptismal dunk into waters that will flow to every curiosity and question about one's religion and unexplored beliefs. This book takes the reader on a journey that many may hesitate to take, but should take nonetheless. The endnotes by themselves provide a bachelor's level education - take advantage.

Rating:
Summary: Neither embraces nor denounces any one religion
Review: Concepts: A ProtoTheist Quest For Science-Minded Skeptics Of Catholic, And Other Christian, Jewish & Muslim Backgrounds searches for the common source of beliefs in God - exploring prototheism, the science of religion. From the origins of belief in gods to how Christianity came to have such enormous influence in the western world, to what modern science has to tell us on the workings of the brain and applications this knowledge has with regard to faith systems, Concepts is a thought-provoking study that neither embraces nor denounces any one religion. Instead it explores what science has to say about faith itself in a critical and compelling manner.

Rating:
Summary: Neither embraces nor denounces any one religion
Review: Concepts: A ProtoTheist Quest For Science-Minded Skeptics Of Catholic, And Other Christian, Jewish & Muslim Backgrounds searches for the common source of beliefs in God - exploring prototheism, the science of religion. From the origins of belief in gods to how Christianity came to have such enormous influence in the western world, to what modern science has to tell us on the workings of the brain and applications this knowledge has with regard to faith systems, Concepts is a thought-provoking study that neither embraces nor denounces any one religion. Instead it explores what science has to say about faith itself in a critical and compelling manner.

Rating:
Summary: Intellectual Exploration
Review: If you are breaking down the walls of a dogma-ridden religious indoctrination and want a guide and traveling companion as you explore the terrain outside the boundaries, you may find Concepts a useful tool for your journey. Carleton's friendly, personal writing style, and his use of anecdotes from his own life to illustrate points he is crafting, makes reading fairly easy for such a heady and comprehensive topic. Although I didn't always agree with the author's assumptions or conclusions, I found many of his arguments thought provoking. He obviously loves his subject and has given it a great deal of thought. If your touchstone is science, and you like reading that is weighted toward the intellectual, you may find many useful jewels in this wide-ranging exploration.

Rating:
Summary: Resolve Conceptual Contradictions
Review: Joseph Campbell once surveyed our current scientific understanding of the cosmos, compared it to the widespread belief in god as a " non-specific masculine personality residing somewhere beyond the moon" and asked what a thinking person should make of this conceptual contradiction. Paul Carleton's book Concepts is written for such thinking persons. If you are curious about religion-why we have it, why it persists-this is a terrific introduction to prototheism, the science of religion. Carleton covers an impressive amount of territory and shares his research, notes, interpretations and bibliography in a lively, conversational style. His conclusions are remarkably optimistic and pragmatic. Not for the scientifically faint of heart. Definitely for the curious and open-minded. This book should foster the best philosophical conversations you'll ever have.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ
Review: Note: this review was submitted to me by Charles G. Floeter of Troy Michigan who asked that I post it for him. CONCEPTS, A PROTOTHEIST QUEST FOR SCIENCE-MINDED SKEPTICS IS A MUST READ STUDY FOR THE SERIOUS STUDENT WITH AN OPEN AND INQUIRING MIND. WELL WRITTEN, RESEARCHED IN DEPTH AND CAREFULLY DOCUMENTED. PROVIDES ALTERNATIVE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT NOT TO ASK.