Stephen T. Asma is a Professor of Philosophy and Founding Fellow of the Research Group in Mind, Science, and Culture at Columbia College, Chicago. He is the author of On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears and Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads: The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums.

Honorable Mention for the 2019 William James Book Award

"... impactful...interesting stories..." -- Matt Recla , Reading Religion

"Balanced in its approach and careful in its research, Asma's fine book will appeal equally to religious and non-religious readers, and provides a genuinely fresh perspective on tired old discussions."- Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating if unsettling read for those interested in religion or science."- Library Journal

"The assumption of the 'new atheists' that religion does more harm than good has always been just that-an assumption, never backed by sound argument or persuasive evidence. Now Stephen Asma shows how much argument and evidence there is on the other side of the question. Why We Need Religion is a refreshingly original take on an old but urgently contemporary question. And it is a severe challenge to the naïve belief that secularization will be our salvation."-Robert Wright, author of The Evolution of God

"Asma combines a deep and broad knowledge of religious traditions with the best that contemporary psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology have to offer. He makes a powerful case for the essential role of religion in helping us to manage our emotional lives and our relations with one another. And he does it with prose that is informal and engaging. This book gave me something to think about on almost every page."-Barry Schwartz, author of Practical Wisdom and Why We Work