The Evolution of Religion and Morality: Volume I

This volume evaluates the role of religion in cooperation and prosocial behavior using ethnographic and experimental methods across eight field sites. The first of two volumes presents results from the first phase of the Evolution of Religion and Morality (ERM) Project, which explores the relationship between religious beliefs and cooperation, and the extent to which prosociality extends.

Format: Hardback
Length: 166 pages
Publication date: 04 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive volume explores the profound influence of religion on cooperation and prosocial behavior through a diverse array of ethnographic and experimental methodologies across eight distinct field sites. The first installment of a two-volume series, this volume presents findings from the initial phase of the Evolution of Religion and Morality (ERM) Project.

The ERM project employs a distinctive blend of experimental and ethnographic approaches to address critical inquiries emerging from the rapidly evolving cultural evolutionary sciences of religion. It seeks to understand the intricate relationship between religious beliefs and cooperative behavior, as well as the extent to which commitment to punitive, knowledgeable, and morally concerned gods fosters prosocial tendencies among individuals. Additionally, the project investigates the mediating factors that shape this relationship, including important individual and contextual variables.

In addition to an overarching report, this book presents seven site-specific reports that contextualize experimental and ethnographic data collected from diverse communities worldwide. These communities include the Hadza of Tanzania, villagers from two communities on Tanna Island, Vanuatu, residents of Marajó, Brazil, Fijians from Yasawa and Lovu, Tyvans from southern Siberia, and Mauritians. By gathering data from such a wide range of cultures, this groundbreaking work establishes a new benchmark in the scientific study of religion.

The Evolution of Religion and Morality: Volume I is an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers in the fields of religious studies, human evolutionary biology, psychology, anthropology, the cultural evolution of religion, and the sociology of religion. Its comprehensive analysis and insightful findings will undoubtedly contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay between religion and human behavior.

Weight: 489g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032624037