Religion Can Make You Prosocial, Depending On Your Genes
One of religion’s most important effects is that it fosters community. There’s a lot of ways it does this. It teach people how to get […]
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A farewell and reflection on the scientific study of religion
After five years of working for Science on Religion, my time here is at an end. Over these five years, I have reported on a […]
Religious conservatives more scrupulous than religious liberals (no, that’s not a good thing)
The differences between liberal and conservative extend well beyond the political realm to the religious realm. As seen in the political realm, one of the […]
Knowledge confusion predicts belief in the religious and paranormal
Researchers have often puzzled over why people believe in the religious and paranormal. Neither of these beliefs has scientific evidence yet the vast majority of […]
Paranormal thought priming can influence the interpretation of events
The desire for the magical and supernatural seems deeply ingrained in the human psyche. As seen in the great fantasy worlds such as Star Wars […]
Does religion actually encourage generosity?
A variety of previous studies have looked favorably upon religion, concluding that religion correlates with generosity, responsibility, charity, and a host of other virtues. Given […]
Review: Rethinking Religion
In this groundbreaking book, E. Thomas Lawson and Robert N. McCauley proclaim the birth of the field of cognitive science of religion by presenting a […]
The psychological profile of Jesuit applicants
Jesuits make up an elite order of Catholic priests. Historically known for their keen intellects and wealth of knowledge, the Jesuits play a key role […]
Belief in free will correlates with conservatism
In recent years, the “free will versus determinism” debate has gained great popularity among both philosophers and non-philosophers alike. People want to know, or at […]
The evolution of human interaction: selfish vs. selfless
Evolutionary theory suggests two major pathways through which human nature may have evolved. In the first and most commonly held view, humans selfishly follows “survival […]