Science On Religion
Areas of Germany with high social integration and social capital saw a much quicker expansion of the Nazi party. What does this mean for religion? Read more
Areas of Germany with high social integration and social capital saw a much quicker expansion of the Nazi party. What does this mean for religion? Read more
Liberal Protestant churches are losing members left and right, while conservative churches are doing just fine. But why? Connor Wood thinks it's because liberal churches refuse to be strict, and refuse to demand real, costly investment from their members. Read more
Connor Wood thinks we should always be humble about what we believe – even if we're experts. The history of science shows why. Read more
New research shows that intense rituals can forge strong tribal identities – but also help people overcome tribal barriers. How does this affect our modern attitude toward religion? Read more
Last week, Connor Wood claimed that religion and creativity were often incompatible. In response to dozens of critiques and comments, this post picks apart the argument further and, data in hand, supports the original claim – with some qualifications. Read more
Let's be honest: religion and creativity don't always mix. The world's fashion designers, rock musicians, and star artists aren't exactly a churchgoing lot. But why is this? And how can we receive the benefits of stable, traditional life without leaving behind the burning creativity we need? Read more
Researchers from Denmark and New Zealand claim that ritual allows cultures to transmit knowledge by overloading participants' executive cognitive networks, leaving participants open to suggestions and influence by cultural authorities. Read more
Sometimes religion leads to more political involvement, sometimes none at all; other times political involvement affects religion. Here are 5 ways religion can affect political beliefs. Read more
Are spirit mediums for real? Who knows? But researchers in the US and Brazil have found that, real or not, certain mediums' brains act in some very interesting ways. Read more
Research from a multinational team shows that religion has affected the ways that genes are transmitted in the Near East – for more than 2,000 years. Read more
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