In "Homo religiosus,'' Annscrong takes us back to the roots of religion in the Paleolithic era. The portrait she paints might surprise many readers. ·'111 archaic thinking," she argues, "there [was]...

In "Homo religiosus,'' Annscrong takes us back to the roots of religion in the Paleolithic era. The portrait she paints might surprise many readers. ·'111 archaic thinking," she argues, "there [was] no concept of the supernatural, no huge gulf separating human and divine." There was "no belief in a single supreme being," and indeed belief itself was beside the point because religion was openly understood as a myth, not a literal truth. Reread the chapter and carefolly note the many ditferences between religion then and religion now. Next, go back and look for the continuities. ln spite of the differences, would you say that much of the Paleolithic legacy survives to this day? Can we conclude that religion has become more mature and sophisticated, or is it possible that we have lost touch with what religion actually represents? Where does Armstrong herself seem to stand on this final question?