Belief in God: Why People Believe, and Why They Don't. (August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mercier, Brett; Kramer, Stephanie R.; Shariff, Azim F.
• Is Part Of: Current directions in psychological science. Volume 27:Number 4(2018)
• Page Start: 263
• Page End: 268
• Publication Date: 2018-08
• Subjects: belief -- God -- evolution -- religion; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150
• DOI: 10.1177/0963721418754491
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-7214

Abstract

Belief in a god or gods is a central feature in the lives of billions of people and a topic of perennial interest within psychology. However, research over the past half decade has achieved a new level of understanding regarding both the ultimate and proximate causes of belief in God. Ultimate causes—the evolutionary influences on a trait—shed light on the adaptive value of belief in God and the reasons why a tendency toward this belief exists in humans. Proximate causes—the immediate influences on the expression of a trait—explain variation and changes in belief. We review this research and discuss remaining barriers to a fuller understanding of belief in God.