{"product_id":"in-the-beginning-god-366635","title":"In the Beginning God","description":"\u0026amp;Christians believe that religion began when God created human beings and revealed himself to them. But is there scholarly evidence for this belief?  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e In the nineteenth century academic world a stormy debate took shape over the origin of religion. Scholars explored the ancient languages of mythology and then considered evolutionary anthropology. A dominant view emerged that religion began with animism -- the reverent honoring of spirits -- and from there evolved into higher forms, from polytheism on to monotheism.  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e However, scholars Andrew Lang and Wilhem Schmidt contended there were cultures throughout the world -- pygmy people in Africa and Asia, certain Australian Aboriginal groups and Native American tribes -- that originated as monotheistic, acknowledging the existence of one supreme God who created the world and holds people accountable for living morally upright lives.  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e The debate wore on, and Schmidt, a member of the Catholic or","brand":"Koorong","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51565271286047,"sku":"9780805447781","price":59.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0925\/8981\/8143\/files\/9780805447781_667252.jpg?v=1769224781","url":"https:\/\/koorong.com\/products\/in-the-beginning-god-366635","provider":"Koorong","version":"1.0","type":"link"}