Religion as Make-Believe

A major achievement in the study of religious attitudes, which will and should shape discussion of religious belief for decades to come. -- Eric Schwitzgebel * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews * This brilliant and controversial book reframes our understanding of faith. Van Leeuwen captures the complex nature of faith commitments accurately and with deft philosophical insight. He sees what people do—not what they think they do. -- T. M. Luhrmann, author of <i>How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible Others</i> This is an important and richly stimulating book, perhaps the most important on the science of religion for a decade or more. It is required reading for philosophers of mind and religion, for those who work on the psychology of religion, and for all thoughtful people who care about the role of faith in public life. -- Neil Levy, author of <i>Bad Beliefs: Why They Happen to Good People</i> Neil Van Leeuwen takes readers on a journey from children’s playgrounds to cave art, from imaginary friends to ghosts and gods, drawing on philosophy, psychology, and anthropology to mount a provocative argument that will delight some readers and vex others, but offer a worthwhile adventure for all. -- Tania Lombrozo, Princeton University This is a bold and persuasive effort to show that religious beliefs should not be conflated with straightforward factual beliefs. The argument is vigorous and combative. It will provoke lively and helpful discussion, especially among scholars of religion and philosophers willing to venture beyond standard analyses of belief. -- Paul L. Harris, author of <i>Child Psychology in Twelve Questions</i> Maintaining that religious beliefs and factual beliefs about the everyday world constitute different cognitive attitudes, Neil Van Leeuwen advances a theory that deftly integrates critical findings and insights from philosophy, cognitive science, anthropology, and history. This wonderful book glistens with careful argumentation, splendid clarity, consistent fairness, striking erudition, and what, ultimately, is remarkable wisdom. -- Robert N. McCauley, author of <i>Why Religion is Natural and Science is Not</i> A groundbreaking book that makes a substantial contribution to the scientific study of religion. Van Leeuwen’s distinction between factual beliefs and religious credences will help us make sense of some of the thorniest puzzles in the field. -- Jonathan Lanman, Queen’s University Belfast