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Welcome
During the paleolithic, two branches of early humans - homo sapiens and homo neanderthalensis evolved a distinct behavior towards supernatural agents which we know today as ancestors, spirits, gods or God. Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, who discovered the processes of evolution, assumed that religiosity became part of human nature and neurobiology as did other biocultural traits (e.g. speech or musicality). Darwin even devoted several pages and passages of his famous The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex to the evolution of religion. The evolutionary perspective on that phenomenon had even been preceded by original thinkers as David Hume in his Natural History of Religion or German zoologist Gustav Jäger and it was held up throughout the ideologically embattled 20th century by prominent scientists as e.g. Emile Durkheim exploring the secular use of religious affiliation, Teilhard de Chardin combining theology and paleo-archaeology or nobel laureate in economics Friedrich August von Hayek, who was the first to observe the potential reproductive advantage of religious behavior. (See Historical List of Scientists)
During the last years, quickly growing numbers of scientists from very diverse fields of study converged their perspectives based on evolutionary studies on religion. To name just a few: Evolutionary anthropologists as e.g. Sarah Hrdy, Volker Sommer and Richard Sosis, scholars in political studies as e.g. Ronald Inglehart or Eric Kaufmann, neurobiologists as e.g. Andrew Newberg or Patrick McNamara, cognitive and social psychologists as e.g. Pascal Boyer or Ara Norenzayan and evolutionary biologists as e.g. David Sloan Wilson and many, many more contributed important aspects to the expanding field. (See Contemporary List of Scientists)
Today, we are equipped with more sophisticated data and theories than ever before, beginning to augment the traditional structures of scientific exchange as institutions, conferences and books with the networking powers of the Internet: online-resources, blogs and international and interdisciplinary networks as the Evolutionary Religious Studies. 
Slowly, like in a massive jigsaw puzzle, the pieces towards an evolutionary understanding of religion are put together. Wikireligiosus is a chance to participate in this process.
Scientific perspectives in Evolutionary Studies on Religion
Results have been very impressive so far - and the sheer numbers of serious studies and publications about the biocultural evolution of religiosity and religions already reached levels beyond the capacities of any single human mind. Thus, it's high time to proceed with the new possibilities of the World Wide Web at hand and to connect the scientific perspectives at hand.
Empirical:
- Evolutionary and Religious History and (Paleo-)Archaeology (cp. Burials, supernatural agents)
- Neurobiology and Cognitive Psychology (cp. Brain Modules, CREDs)
- Genetics and Anthropology (cp. Universals)
- Sociology, Sociobiology and Economics (cp. Cooperation, Game Theory)
- Demography (cp. reproductive advantage)
Integrating the findings and perspectives:
- Religious Studies (as scientific study of religion, German: Religionswissenschaft) (cp. musicology)
Evaluating:
- Philosophy and Theology
The Wikireligiosus-Project
Wikireligiosus.eu has been created as a Peer-to-Peer-Wiki-Project for a seminary in Religionswissenschaft (scientific study of religion) at Jena University by Michael Blume, inviting scientists, students and volunteers from abroad since the winter of 2009. Its focus is the evolutionary exploration of religiosity and religions. You want to contribute your work and to network it with those of others? As a teacher or student, you are seeking a way of bringing valuable workload to global scientific use? As a volunteer, you want to make a difference by contributing your abilities, gaining scientific insights in the process? And you want to do all of this in a secure wiki strictly restricted to peers, and therefore protected against vandalism? Then, apply by mail, get your password - and join the scientific adventure!
