The Evolutionary Forms of the Religious Life: A Cross‐Cultural, Quantitative Analysis
Abstract
ABSTRACT Previous cross‐cultural studies of religion's evolution that employed Swanson's High Gods measure are plagued by methodological difficulties, especially the lack of proper statistical controls. Here, we attempted to rectify this, using the Standard Cross‐Cultural Sample to test five hypotheses employing multivariate statistical techniques. Results provided weak support for Swanson's Sovereign Groups hypothesis concerning High Gods and also limited support for a previously unexplored factor: writing and record keeping. In phase two of the study, we introduced a new measure, the Stage of Religious Evolution, based on Anthony Wallace's typology. When this new dependent variable was substituted for High Gods, much stronger results were obtained. The best predictors of Stage of Religious Evolution were mode of subsistence economy, writing and record keeping, and total population size. These findings allowed us to construct a new evolutionary interpretation of the development of different modes of religious life.
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Monotheism depends on cultural variables such as social size, subsistence technology, economic complexity, and literacy.
“Monotheism depends on cultural variables such as social size, subsistence technology, economic complexity, and literacy (Sanderson and Roberts 2008).”
From DEBUNKING ARGUMENTS GAIN LITTLE FROM COGNITIVE SCIENCE OF RELIGION (2021) · cites this paper as Sanderson and Roberts 2008
Cites
Argonauts of the Western Pacific
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“Michael Winkelman (1990, 2000) has undertaken cross-cultural analyses of shamans and their transformation into slightly different types of religious practitioners that he calls shaman–healers and healers.”
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Explaining the relationship between religiousness and substance use: Self-control matters.
DeWall, C. N., Pond, R. S., Carter, E. C., McCullough, M. E., Lambert, N. M., Fincham, F. D., & Nezlek, J. B. (2014) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0036853 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
DEBUNKING ARGUMENTS GAIN LITTLE FROM COGNITIVE SCIENCE OF RELIGION
Launonen, L. (2021) · Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science · doi:10.1111/zygo.12683 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Monothe-ism depends on cultural variables such as social size, subsistence technology, economic complexity, and literacy (Sanderson and Roberts 2008).”
Background
- Authors
- SANDERSON, S. K., & ROBERTS, W. W.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- Venue
- American Anthropologist
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-12
- Volume
- 110
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 454-466
- ISSN
- 0002-7294 (ISSN-L)
- 1548-1433
- OpenAlex
- W2158504519
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 22.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Anthropologist (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Study and Philosophy of Religion
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
- Keywords
- evolution of religion, religious life, high god, subsistence economy, population size, cross-cultural comparison, Standard Cross-Cultural Sample
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