Religious Concepts as Necessary Components of the Adaptive Religious System

The majority view of cognitive scientists of religion holds that religious concepts are merely byproducts of evolved minds. However, religious concepts exhibit patterned socioecological variation, suggesting that they may be responsive to local selective pressures. Concepts worthy of religious devotion are intriguing, emotion-triggering, and framed in such a way that makes them relevant to one’s wellbeing. As such, these concepts are more likely to be transmitted and therefore shared. It is their perceived sharedness and the effects of entertaining supernatural agent concepts in particular which motivate individuals to participate in costly rituals. These rituals indicate shared models and their costs signal devotion to the community. As ritual behavior— when rationalized with religious concepts—sustains cooperative relationships, we maintain that such concepts are a necessary component of the adaptive religious system.