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Hell of a theory
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 March 2016
Abstract
The theory of group-selected Big God religions is a master narrative of cultural evolution. The evidence is a positive manifold of correlated assumptions and variables. Although provocative, the theory is overly elastic. Its critical ingredient – belief in Big Gods – is neither necessary nor sufficient to account for in-group prosociality and discipline. Four specific issues illustrate this elasticity.
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Target article
The cultural evolution of prosocial religions
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