The cultural evolution of prosocial religions.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Theoretical framework and conceptual synthesis without new empirical human data
PubMed 26785995 · doi:10.1017/S0140525X14001356
What was done
The authors presented a theoretical framework and interdisciplinary synthesis proposing a cultural evolutionary model for the origins of prosocial religions. The model addresses two historical patterns: the rise of large-scale cooperation among strangers and the spread of prosocial religions over the past 10-12 millennia.
What was found
The abstract reports a conceptual synthesis and contains no quantitative data or numerical outcomes. It proposes that culturally evolved religious packages—including moralizing supernatural agents, credible displays of faith, and social solidarity mechanisms—promoted high fertility and large-scale cooperation, driving success in intergroup competition and the subsequent spread of prosocial religions.
Why it matters
This framework links cognitive by-product and adaptationist models, offering a cohesive cultural evolutionary explanation for how religious systems helped scale human cooperation beyond small kin-based groups.
Limits
The abstract presents a purely theoretical synthesis with no original empirical data, participant sample sizes, or statistical testing reported. Causal claims regarding multi-millennial evolutionary dynamics rely heavily on indirect historical and cross-cultural inferences rather than direct experimental validation.
Cited by
- supports Faith-based actions and rituals positively influence morality, consciousness, and feelings of connectedness.