ABSTRACT
Studies of religion and values have revealed the complex genetic and social factors that shape many aspects of humanity that were once regarded as outside the scope of scientific study. Some of the recent data concerning the genetic and environmental causes of individual differences are presented. Although these studies by themselves do not address some of the most profound human qualities, they establish a prima facie case for a unified theory in which human religious values might ultimately be understood in the same material terms as any other aspect of human behaviour. There is a temptation for the significance of such studies to be overstated and exploited against the overall human interest. While such research does not necessarily undermine the continuing adaptive significance of religious belief and practice, it certainly calls for a more nuanced understanding of the divine in the context of evolutionary materialism and requires a careful restatement of traditional human themes such as justice and freedom in a new intellectual environment.
