Religion, Power, & Illusion:

A Genealogy of Religious Belief

Religion, Power, & Illusion by Patrick J. Hurley

“The author takes deep, illuminating dives into history, archaeology, biblical criticism, and social psychology to debunk major faiths’ claims, and he does so in lucid, highly skeptical prose. He spotlights profound aspects of the religious mindset and vividly conveys its reality. A sharply provocative, often engrossing challenge to faith-based pieties. Our verdict: Get it.”

— Kirkus Reviews

Have you ever considered?

🢒 The Egyptian gods. Why are there so many? How are they related to current beliefs?

🢒 The pyramids of Giza. Who built them? What motivated the builders?

🢒 The Exodus. Was it really a courageous escape from an Egyptian pharaoh?

🢒 The plagues inflicted on the Egyptians. Did they really happen?

🢒 Jesus. Was he really the Son of God? If not, why is he called that now?

🢒 The Resurrection.  Did it really happen?  If not, why do people believe it did?

🢒 The Trinity.  Where did this novel 3-person god come from?

🢒 Power.  Are religious leaders motivated by power just as political leaders are?

🢒 Islam.  Is this religion any more violent than other religions?

🢒 The Bible.  Is what it says actually true, or was it written to fulfill an agenda?

These questions, and more, are explored in Prof. Hurley’s acclaimed book —
Religion, Power, and Illusion: A Genealogy of Religious Belief

Praise from readers

  • “This is a must read for every person who has thought about the roots and rationality of God-belief systems that dominate our world.” — John Valois

  • “Hurley states his presuppositions, defines terms carefully, provides clarifying illustrations of their meanings, conducts careful analyses and orders his evidence with a logician’s flair. And he accomplishes all of the foregoing in a manner which is highly informative and engaging.” — Claire, Amazon reviewer

  • “Religion, Power, & Illusion is a great read. Hurley provides detailed and extensive corroboration of his guiding insights. He admirably defends his conclusions. ” — Amazon reviewer

  • “Hurley’s analysis is buttressed by his excellent use of examples from classical sources, and he is refreshingly sensitive to the accumulation of the earthly power of religious institutions, including financial and political power. The entire analysis is sustained by Hurley’s clarity and precision as a logician.” — Larry Hinman

  • “This book reminded me how important it is to explore and understand what I believe, and why?” — Maggi Roark

  • “Every chapter is thought provoking, and the book led me to rethink beliefs I had held since childhood.” — Amazon reviewer

Join the discussion

Prof. Hurley starts the conversation with these blog posts. You’re invited to read and discuss:

Featured
Masks as Instruments of Illusion
Masks as Instruments of Illusion

Masks were an important accouterment of most, if not all, ancient religious rituals, and the sheer fact that priests chose masks for these rituals should tell us that these rituals were intended to create or reinforce illusions.

Read More →
Human Dominance
Human Dominance

The Dominance Behavioral System mechanism is grounded in biology, and it explains why some people are motivated to dominate others, while other people are motivated to be subservient.

Read More →
Collective Memory
Collective Memory

Readers have voiced the opinion that the most important idea developed in this book on religion is the one that relates to collective memory. Collective memory consists of memories shared by members of groups.

Read More →

  • Discover the Book

    Explore this quest for evidence that supports religious beliefs.

    Book

  • Behind the Scenes

    Why, after an academic career centered on logic, did Prof. Hurley write a book about religion?

    Background

  • Articles

    Join the discussion of a new and revealing perspective on today’s religions.

    Blog