I have several books by Frans de Waal, one of 2007 Time magazine's selection of the world's most influential people.
In this one, he discusses the origins of morality. He does not lambast religion, but considers that it is the result, not the cause of our evolved moral instincts. He even considers that perhaps religion is still needed as a bulwark against moral anarchy, but has a "let's see" attitude to the natural experiment that is ongoing, whereby prosperous Western nations, particularly in North-Western Europe, are discarding religious explanations. Certainly, said nations lead the world in their paucity of crime and social dysfunction.
More details and reviews to be found on Amazon, @ The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates: Frans de Waal: 9780393347791: Amazon.com: Books
In this one, he discusses the origins of morality. He does not lambast religion, but considers that it is the result, not the cause of our evolved moral instincts. He even considers that perhaps religion is still needed as a bulwark against moral anarchy, but has a "let's see" attitude to the natural experiment that is ongoing, whereby prosperous Western nations, particularly in North-Western Europe, are discarding religious explanations. Certainly, said nations lead the world in their paucity of crime and social dysfunction.
More details and reviews to be found on Amazon, @ The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates: Frans de Waal: 9780393347791: Amazon.com: Books