ABSTRACT
Human beings are vulnerable, finite, mortal beings. We are aware of our mortality. We feel anxious about death. We hope for happiness and well-being. We engage in metaphysical speculation about the origin of the universe and the destination of the soul. We construct rituals and tell stories that point toward the divine and transcendent. We sing, dance, and make art in order to console, inspire, and celebrate. We build political systems and postulate ethical norms that aim to stabilize human behavior. Religion is woven through all of this.
