Introduction

Abstract

This chapter discusses the idea of explanation of religion in its historical and cultural contexts. First attempts of understanding and later explaining religion in naturalistic terms were made by philosophers in the modern era, beginning with the philosophy of Spinoza. There are good reasons to explain religion in biological terms because religion is often related, however in a specific sense, to human biology. Religion is also a very complex system which is still attractive for different ways of interpretation and explanation. This fact leads to tensions between naturalistic and non-naturalistic approaches to religion.