Freud, Burkert, More and Atheism on the Origins and Persistence of Religious Faith

Where did religious faith originate and why has it persisted throughout human history to modern times? This is a burning question which has occupied the thoughts of great scholars and theorists for many centuries. Yet, no single theory ever put forward has been capable of satisfactorily accounting for all the data or stand the test of informed criticisms. Of such theories aimed at explaining the origins of religion, several stand out separate from the rest due to their extraordinary and unique perspectives on the issues. Sigmund Freud believed religion to be an illusion manifesting it…