RT Article
T1 Minds of gods and human cognitive constraints: socio-ecological context shapes belief
JF Religion, brain & behavior
VO 10
IS 3
SP 223
OP 238
A1 McNamara, Rita A.
A1 Purzycki, Benjamin Grant
LA English
PB Routledge
YR 2020
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1741036909
AB What believers say about gods’ thoughts, concerns, and dispositions reflects both the minds of believers and the societies in which they live. A review of the psychology of religion literature reveals a paradox: individuals benefit from belief in divine benevolence, while groups benefit from belief in divine punishment. We propose that a resolution to this paradox lies in the combination of cognitive systems and culturally-transmitted social norms. We suggest that, as access to reflective thinking capacity is depleted, unreflective thinking driven by culturally-transmitted decision rules that are themselves shaped by local environments (e.g., norms, schemas, and scripts) play a central role in shaping beliefs about the minds of gods. We first review the psychological literature and examine how cognition and social norms might combine to favor certain patterns of beliefs around what gods know, care about, and do. We use a cultural evolutionary lens to indicate ways that various beliefs about gods’ minds may confer adaptive benefits to individuals or groups across various socio-ecological contexts, focusing on three cultural strategies: honor, face, and dignity. Along the way, we draw from existing data to predict what shapes gods’ minds may take and suggest ways to test predictions drawn from this review.
K1 Dual Processes
K1 supernatural punishment
K1 Cultural Evolution
K1 supernatural agent beliefs
DO 10.1080/2153599X.2019.1678510