Videos on War and Painful Ritual

Religion for Breakfast

war

YouTube

2020-01-23T12:02:13-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What Distinguishes Humans from Chimps? Vocal Learning and Ritual.

Last updated on: January 23, 2020 at 12:02 pm By Connor Wood

The neuroscientist Björn Merker argues that humans, unlike chimpanzees, have "ritual culture" – culture that depends on over-imitation and intensive social learning. Interestingly, this means we have more in common with whales, seals, and songbirds than with our closest living relatives. Read more

2019-10-25T11:09:25-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Conservatives Have Smaller Moral Circles than Progressives

Last updated on: October 25, 2019 at 11:09 am By Connor Wood

A new study has found fascinating evidence that conservatives care about to smaller, tighter moral circles than liberals do – whereas liberals go so far as to care about the fate of strangers from other countries, paramecia, and…rocks in outer space. Read more

Cultural psychology

2019-09-25T12:36:55-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is Morality About Cooperation?

Last updated on: September 25, 2019 at 12:36 pm By Connor Wood

If there’s one thing nearly all people can agree on, it’s that some actions are morally right and others are wrong. But which actions count as right or wrong? That gets a bit more complicated. In some societies, polygamy is normal and proper. In others, taking a second wife can get you imprisoned. Some societies value individual rights and autonomy, while others emphasize collective obligations and hierarchy. In the face of such dazzling differences, how are we supposed to develop... Read more

Cultural psychology

Evolution

Evolutionary psychology

2019-08-13T12:07:25-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Future of Religion: What Follows the Decline of “Big Gods?”

Last updated on: August 13, 2019 at 12:07 pm By Connor Wood

A recent article at the BBC argues that the future of religion might be found in a return to pre-Abrahamic, ethnic religious traditions, such as Norse neopaganism or the neo-African religion Ifa. What effect would this shift have on the world as we know it? Read more

Modern culture and religion

2019-07-16T12:15:22-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Free energy, the brain, and religion

Last updated on: July 16, 2019 at 12:15 pm By Connor Wood

Karl Friston, one of today's foremost neuroscientists, thinks that all brain processing boils down to trying to reduce uncertainty about own's own existence. Others think this same "free-energy principle" applies at the level of cultures, too – and maybe even religions. Here's what that might mean. Read more

Cognitive Science of Religion

predictive processing

religion

scientists

symbols

2019-07-03T15:11:01-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

First Came the Temple – Then the City?

Last updated on: July 3, 2019 at 3:11 pm By Connor Wood

Looking at the world's towns and cities from above, a fascinating pattern appears: we build our civilizations around temples. What would an alien visitor think? Read more

Editorial

2019-06-13T12:32:59-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Tradition and Innovation as Worldviews: Is Research into Religion a Fool’s Errand?

Last updated on: June 13, 2019 at 12:32 pm By Connor Wood

Tradition and religion are a poor fit in the innovation-driven economy that professionals inhabit. Is it possible to translate the value of "farming" virtues into the language of modern-day foragers? Or is it a fool's errand? Read more

Editorial

Cognitive Science of Religion

2019-05-28T12:32:46-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Did Big Gods Come Before or After Big Societies?

Last updated on: May 28, 2019 at 12:32 pm By Connor Wood

Do "big gods" – supernatural beings who care about human morality and fairness – help large, complex societies to evolve? A new paper in Nature suggests that it's the other way around. But the paper's findings have unleashed a storm of controversy and critiques. What can we conclude? Read more

Database of Religious History

Beheim

big gods

cultural evolution

supernatural punishment

Whitehouse

2019-05-10T12:20:45-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is Ritual a Tool for Resilience?

Last updated on: May 10, 2019 at 12:20 pm By Connor Wood

In complex systems, too much efficiency can lead to a loss of resilience. Ritual and religious traditions may be built-in ways for people to prioritize resilience over efficiency, by preventing us from focusing too narrowly on utilitarian goals. Read more

Editorial