Dr. Michael Blume
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Enjoying Evolutionary Studies of Religion
 

A heartfelt welcome!

          My name is Michael Blume.
Thanks for your interest the scientific study of religion!

I do enjoy researching and teaching ”Religionswissenschaft“, as the interdisciplinary and comparative study of religion is called in German, at various universities (currently Cologne). Besides a wonderful (Christian-Muslim) family and a captivating job, the interdisciplinary, evolutionary approach to religion remains my personal passion: Evolutionary Studies of Religiosity and Religion(s). In 2015-2016, I've had the honour to lead the Special Quota Project for 1.100 vulnerable Women and Children from Kurdistan-Iraq, bringing them to Baden-Württemberg and other German States. These experiences contributed to my last book about Islam in Crisis (German, see below).

Evolutionary Religious Studies

Evolutionary Studies of Religion - The Reproductive Potentials 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 findings corresponded with evolutionary hypotheses by nobel prize winner Friedrich August von Hayek (1899-1992). He had assumed that biocultural "reproductive advantages" of religions would emerge out of competitive, (bio-)cultural evolution. What's more, contemporary evolutionary theory & demographics are breaking fresh ground by explaining gender differences in religious behavior (as part of family-and-community-forming processes), celibacy (functioning as helpers at the nest) and more. In our time, there's a new and testable, evolutionary picture under construction. And a big part of the respective fun is the chance to team with colleagues from diverse scientific fields and cultural backgrounds!

English Downloads


* "How does Violence end up in World Religions? On prevention of religion-based justifications of extremism", in: SIAK-International Edition 2017, p. 52 - 58

* "How Is't With Thy Religion, Pray? Selection of Religiosity Among Individuals and Groups", in: Slone, D.J., Van Slyke, J.A. (Eds.): The Attraction of Religion. Bloomsbury 2015, p. 63 - 71

* "Scientific vs. Religious Knowlegde in Evolutionary Perspective", in: Salazar, C., Bestard, J. (Eds.): Religion and Science as Forms of Life. Berghahn 2015, p. 49 - 61

* "Evolutionary Studies of Religiosity and Religions, started by Charles Darwin", Lecture at the 13th Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB), Tübingen University 2011

* "Two realms, one winner? Scientific vs. Religious ‘Knowledge’ in Evolutionary Perspective", Paper given at Reason and Belief in the Societies of Knowledge, Barcelona 2011

* "God in the Brain. How much can "Neurotheology" explain?", In: Becker, P., Diewald, U. (Hrsg.) 2011: Zukunftsperspektiven im theologisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Dialog., Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 2011, S. 306-314

* "The Reproductive Advantage of Religiosity - Bristol 2010", Lecture at the "Explaining Religion" Conference, Bristol University 2010 (PowerPoint-Sheets)

* "Von Hayek and the Amish Fertility. How religious communities manage to be fruitful and multiply. A Case study", in: Frey, Ulrich (Hrsg.), The Nature of God - Evolution and Religion", Tectum Verlag Marburg 2010

* "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

Click here for Contact.


Some Books I wrote (German)


"Islam in der Krise. Eine Weltreligion zwischen Radikalisierung und stillem Rückzug", Patmos 2017, Ostfildern

Islam in der Krise von Dr. Michael Blume bei Patmos (2017)

"Evolution und Gottesfrage. Charles Darwin als Theologe", Herder 2013, Freiburg

Michael Blume: Evolution und Gottesfrage. Charles Darwin als Theologe. Herder 2013

"Gott, Gene und Gehirn. Warum Glaube nützt. Die Evolution der Religiosität.", Hirzel 2009.

Vaas & Blume: Gott, Gene und Gehirn. Warum Glaube nützt. Die Evolution der Religiosität. Hirzel 2009

Scilog (Science Weblog)


As a contribution to the international network of scientists in the "Evolutionary Religious Studies (ERS)", I started the English Scilog "Biology of Religion".

I am also contributing as the Religion-editor at EVOLUTION - THIS VIEW OF LIFE-Magazine and a member to the Institute for the Biocultural Study of Religion (IBCSR).



With evolutionary greetings from Filderstadt, Germany


Dr. Michael Blume



www.Blume-Religionswissenschaft.de