Title: Three prehistoric inventions that shaped us Author: David Martel Johnson Publisher: New York: Peter Lang, 2011. ISBN: 978145390157

Nelson, Glen

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 34Issue 1 Theology and Context(s) Article 112012Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped UsGlen NelsonFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusPart of the Practical Theology CommonsThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationNelson, Glen (2012) "Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped Us," Consensus: Vol. 34 : Iss. 1 , Article 11.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol34/iss1/11Book Review Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped UsDavid Martel Johnson Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. 2011  It isn’t often that a professional philosopher takes religion seriously these days, or for that matter, pays it any attention at all, so when philosopher David Johnson writes a book asserting that religion is one of three prehistoric sources of the vast enterprise of human culture, those of us who still feel religion is important should take notice, applaud and, by all means, read the book.  We have lived in an intellectual atmosphere in which it seems all the oxygen has been sucked out by science and the scientific method so that we have been left gasping and feeling we are either dying spiritually, or at best, are on life support. The two choices of becoming either obscurantists touting Creationism on the one hand, or closet agnostics making do with the “god of the gaps” on the otherappealing.  Using the tools of logic and the scientific findings of such disciplines as anthropology, paleontology and linguistics, David Johnson in this his latest book outlines a way of understanding human nature that acknowledges our connection to the natural world as understood by evolutionary science, without being totally dominated by it, and in the process establishes religion (or better, religious consciousness) as one of the foundational sources of human nature and human culture. After establishing, to his satisfaction, that human nature and human culture are not simply artifacts of our biological evolution (i.e., we became what we are and do what we do simply because this gave us an advantage for biological survival), Johnson then gets to the meat of his argument, that both “human nature” and human culture owe their existence to three prehistoric “inventions” by our ancient forebears: 1. (surprisingly) the domestication of animals, 2.(unsurprisingly) language, and 3. religious conscihuman  nature and human culture are not biologically determined outcomes of evolution but creations of the human family itself, as the deliberately chosen word “inventions” emphasizes.  Of the three, Johnson says, religious consciousness came first; it is “a conception of oneself as being separated both from God on other.” It is this consciousness of being separate from the world and from God that enabled our forebears, and ourselves, to think objectively about the world and manipulate it to human advantage. Religion is found in all human cultures, Johconsciousness works, it is an advantage in the struggle for evolutionary success.   ousness. In other words, the one side and the naturanson says, because religious , are less than l world on the  1Nelson: Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped UsPublished by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2012 Admittedly, it is a long way from “religious consciousness” to the Book of Concord or even the Bible. But Johnson’s emphatically positive appreciation for religious consciousness provides us with a fruitful perspective from which to view one’s own tradition, pruning away that which is harmful and merely self-serving and enhancing that which is both helpful and necessary for us and the whole human race.  I found the author’s method to be difficult to follow, at times. His fertile imagination spins out examples, metaphors, and illustrations in such profusion that I tended to get lost, not knowing if an example was about a main point, or was an example of an example of a point, or even an example of an illustration of an example of a point.  However, having emerged from the labyrinth, I am satisfied that I have traveled a worthwhile path and am grateful for the encouragement it gives to the religious commitment I still have.  Glen Nelson Toronto, Ontario 2Consensus, Vol. 34, Iss. 1 [2012], Art. 11http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol34/iss1/11

Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped Us

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 34
Issue 1 Theology and Context(s) Article 11
2012
Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped Us
Glen Nelson
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
Part of the Practical Theology Commons
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Nelson, Glen (2012) "Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped Us," Consensus: Vol. 34 : Iss. 1 , Article 11.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol34/iss1/11
Book Review 
Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped Us
David Martel Johnson 
Peter Lang Publishing, Inc. 2011
 
 It isn’t often that a professional philosopher takes religion seriously 
these days, or for that matter, pays it any attention at all, so when 
philosopher David Johnson writes a book asserting that religion is one of 
three prehistoric sources of the vast enterprise of human culture, those of 
us who still feel religion is important should take notice, applaud and, by all 
means, read the book. 
 We have lived in an intellectual atmosphere in which it seems all the 
oxygen has been sucked out by science and the scientific method so that we 
have been left gasping and feeling we are either dying spiritually, or at best, are on life 
support. The two choices of becoming either obscurantists touting Creationism on the one 
hand, or closet agnostics making do with the “god of the gaps” on the other
appealing. 
 Using the tools of logic and the scientific findings of such disciplines as 
anthropology, paleontology and linguistics, David Johnson in this his latest book outlines a 
way of understanding human nature that acknowledges our connection to the natural 
world as understood by evolutionary science, without being totally dominated by it, and in 
the process establishes religion (or better, religious consciousness) as one of the 
foundational sources of human nature and human culture.
 After establishing, to his satisfaction, that human nature and human culture are not 
simply artifacts of our biological evolution (i.e., we became what we are and do what we do 
simply because this gave us an advantage for biological survival), Johnson then gets to the 
meat of his argument, that both “human nature” and human culture owe their existence to 
three prehistoric “inventions” by our ancient forebears: 1. (surprisingly) the domestication 
of animals, 2.(unsurprisingly) language, and 3. religious consci
human  nature and human culture are not biologically determined outcomes of evolution 
but creations of the human family itself, as the deliberately chosen word “inventions” 
emphasizes. 
 Of the three, Johnson says, religious consciousness came first; it is “a conception of 
oneself as being separated both from God on 
other.” It is this consciousness of being separate from the world and from God that enabled 
our forebears, and ourselves, to think objectively about the world and manipulate it to 
human advantage. Religion is found in all human cultures, Joh
consciousness works, it is an advantage in the struggle for evolutionary success.
 
 
 
ousness. In other words, 
the one side and the natura
nson says, because religious 
, are less than 
l world on the 
 
1
Nelson: Three Prehistoric Inventions That Shaped Us
Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2012
 Admittedly, it is a long way from “religious consciousness” to the Book of Concord or 
even the Bible. But Johnson’s emphatically positive appreciation for religious 
consciousness provides us with a fruitful perspective from which to view one’s own 
tradition, pruning away that which is harmful and merely self-serving and enhancing that 
which is both helpful and necessary for us and the whole human race. 
 I found the author’s method to be difficult to follow, at times. His fertile imagination 
spins out examples, metaphors, and illustrations in such profusion that I tended to get lost, 
not knowing if an example was about a main point, or was an example of an example of a 
point, or even an example of an illustration of an example of a point.  However, having 
emerged from the labyrinth, I am satisfied that I have traveled a worthwhile path and am 
grateful for the encouragement it gives to the religious commitment I still have. 
 
Glen Nelson 
Toronto, Ontario 
2
Consensus, Vol. 34, Iss. 1 [2012], Art. 11
http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol34/iss1/11


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