Are gods really moral monitors?: some comments on Ara Norenzayan's Big Gods by a historian of religions
The assumption that moral monitoring is a widespread function of gods is not well supported by historical documentation. The further thesis, that ideas about monitoring gods increase prosocial behavior and thereby the capacity of societies for survival, is implausible in view of the historical evide...
| Subtitles: | Review Symposium on Ara Norenzayan: "Big Gods: how religion transformed cooperation and conflict" (2013) |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic/Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
[2014]
|
| In: |
Religion
Year: 2014, Volume: 44, Issue: 4, Pages: 667-673 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Norenzayan, Ara 1970-, Big gods
/ Idea of God
/ Moral act
/ Control
/ Religion
/ History
|
| IxTheo Classification: | AA Study of religion AD Sociology of religion; religious policy AG Religious life; material religion |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | The assumption that moral monitoring is a widespread function of gods is not well supported by historical documentation. The further thesis, that ideas about monitoring gods increase prosocial behavior and thereby the capacity of societies for survival, is implausible in view of the historical evidence about successful societies. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0048-721X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/0048721X.2014.937074 |