Wikireligiosus

In recent years there has been a tremendous growth of scientific publications concerning the evolution of religious phenomena. Contributions stem from a variety of academic disciplines such archeaology, political science, psychology, sociology, biology, theology, philosophy and more.

While a rise in the number of international and interdisciplinary scientific programs and conferences is a welcomed sign for the research community, for the individual scientist it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid being swamped by the volume of information now available. Many are forced to narrow his or her perspective to specific topics out of neccesity.  As a consequence, subtle rifts have begun to form, resulting in the emergence of diverse sub-languages and sub-consensuses (i.e. between cognitive and sociobiological studies).

Obviously the Internet provides us with a powerful communicative tool, one that has been exploited by leading scientists and science bloggers alike through the creation of sites that bring together the research community and the interested public. Examples can be found in the ERS resources section.

One of the most promising online additions to the field of Evolutionary Religious Studies is Wikireligiosus, a new peer-to-peer Wiki Project organised by Michael Blume at Jena University. This project offers a unique approach to promote quality science, discuss relevant topics with peers and disseminate up-to-date information to the general public. All those with a scientific and constructive interest in the field of are invited, and encouragd, to participate. Information on how to join the academic adventure can be found on the Wikireligiosus site.