Born Believers: The Science of Children's Religious Belief

“A masterful discussion of whether children are born with a natural ability to exercise faith in God” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Infants have a lot to make sense of in the world: Why does the sun shine and night fall; why do some objects move in response to words, while others won’t budge; who looks over them and cares for them?

How the developing brain grapples with these and other questions leads children, across cultures, to imagine at least one creative and intelligent agent,...