Within each of our world’s religious traditions there exists a multitude of religious perspectives. We see fundamentalists and fanatics on one hand and saints and sages on the other. In addition, we see millions of individuals who have rejected religion altogether.

Why are there such varied expressions of religious orientation throughout the globe? How is it that religion can create massive relief from suffering in some cases while simultaneously generating division and turmoil in the world in others? Is religion something that we ought to abandon altogether or does it serve a role in society and an important purpose in the unfolding of our planetary destiny?

Throughout this book, Dustin DiPerna uses Integral Theory to begin answering these questions. In doing so, he introduces a broad new discipline called Integral Religious Studies. DiPerna uses Wilber’s notion of the conveyor belt to explicate evidence for five stages of psychological development (magic, mythic, rational, pluralistic, and integral) as each show up in four traditions (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism).

This new type of developmental religious pluralism opens the door for a deeper understanding of the current state religion in the world. Such an understanding changes the future of religious dialogue and positions certain expressions of religion on equal footing with other rational forms of knowledge acquisition. When liberated with an integral lens, religion serves as a catalyst for human growth and development. Rather than an impediment to humanity’s evolution, DiPerna outlines a path that positions religion as evolution’s greatest ally.