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My name is Michael Blume.
Thanks for your interest the scientific study of religion!
I very much enjoy researching and teaching ”Religionswissenschaft“ (at the Universities of Heidelberg, Leipzig and Jena), as the interdisciplinary and comparative study of religion is called in German. Besides a wonderful (Christian-Muslim) family and a captivating profession (in the policy department of the Ministry of State of Baden-Württemberg), the interdisciplinary, evolutionary approach to religion remains my personal passion: Evolutionary Studies on Religiosity and Religion(s). |
Evolutionary Studies on Religion - The Reproductive Benefits of Religiosity
After a promotional thesis about religiosity and the brain sciences, I focussed on the fertility rates of religious people in Europe and worldwide. My empirical support the evolutionary theories of nobel prize winner Friedrich August von Hayek (1899-1992), who assumed that biocultural "reproductive benefits" of religions would emerge out of competitive, cultural evolution. What's more, our actual data are able to explain gender differences in religious behavior (as part of the sexual selection processes), celibacy and more.
Together with Biologist Rüdiger Vaas, I co-authored the (German) book "Gott, Gene und Gehirn. Warum Glaube nützt. Die Evolution der Religiosität.", Hirzel 2009.
Recently, I published "The Reproductive Benefits of Religious Affiliation", in: Voland, E.; Schiefenhövel, W.: "The Biological Evolution of Religious Mind and Behavior", Springer Frontiers Collection 2009.
Biology of Religion & Wikireligiosus.eu
As a contribution to the international network of scientists in the "Evolutionary Religious Studies (ERS)", I started the English Scilog "Biology of Religion" and the "Wikireligiosus Project", open to anyone interested in the field of evolutionary religious studies.
With evolutionary greetings from Filderstadt, Germany
Dr. Michael Blume
English documents available
Blume, M. 2009: "The Reproductive Benefits of Religious Affiliation", in: Voland, E.; Schiefenhövel, W.: "The Biological Evolution of Religious Mind and Behavior", Springer Frontiers Collection 2009.
"Homo Religiosus. The Natural History of Religion",
Opening Text to the Scilog "Biology of Religion", May 2009
"Muslim Religiousness by Age Group",
Religion Monitor 2008: Muslim Religiousness in Germany, Bertelsmann Stiftung 2008 (p. 44 - 49)
"The Reproductive Benefits of Religiosity. Empirical findings of Religion, Reproduction and Female Choice towards a Sociobiology of Religion",
International Conference “Trans-Cultural Universals: Biological evolution of religiosity”, Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) – Institute for Advanced Study, September 2007
"Religiosity as a demographic factor - An underestimated connection?"
Michael Blume, Carsten Ramsel, Sven Graupner, Marburg Journal of Religion, June 2006
“Why are secular populations shrinking? – New findings about belief and the theory of evolution”
(Interview with www.islam.de, January/February 2007)
"Religion and Demography. On the Biological Success of Faith"
Lecture at Leipzig University, July 2007, Translation by Henry Zimmermann
Recommended reading: Theodosius Dobzhansky 1973 "Nothing in Biology makes Sense except in the Light of Evolution".
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