Big gods came after the rise of civilisations, not before, finds study using huge historical database
Phys.org - Thu 21 Mar 19When you think of religion, you probably think of a god who rewards the good and punishes the wicked. But the idea of morally concerned gods is by no means universal. Social scientists have ...
Complex societies gave birth to big gods, not the other way around: study
Phys.org - Thu 21 Mar 19An international research team, including a member of the Complexity Science Hub Vienna, investigated the role of "big gods" in the rise of complex large-scale societies. Big gods are defined ...
What came first: all-seeing gods or large societies?
The Economist - Wed 20 Mar 19A search for the origin of religions
Complex societies precede moralizing gods throughout world history
Nature News - Wed 20 Mar 19Complex societies precede moralizing gods throughout world historyComplex societies precede moralizing gods throughout world history, Published online: 20 March 2019; doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1043-4Belief ...
Building megasocieties didn’t require divine intervention, study says
Ars Technica - Fri 22 Mar 19How do you measure the complexity of a society?
When ancient societies hit a million people, vengeful gods appeared
FOXNews - Fri 22 Mar 19"For we know Him who said, 'And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.'"
Divine punishment didn’t goad us into building civilization — it was the other way around
ZME Science - Thu 21 Mar 19And then the gods said, "don't be a douchebag and we’re chill".
Complex societies existed before a belief in moralising gods
Daily Mail - Wed 20 Mar 19Researchers at Oxford University and others studied the religions of 414 societies over 10,000 years and measured how complex each society was based on historical records.
When Ancient Societies Hit a Million People, Vengeful Gods Appeared
Livescience - Wed 20 Mar 19From a societal standpoint, you need a divine power watching you only if your neighbor isn't doing so.
Humans Built Complex Societies Before They Invented Moral Gods
Gizmodo - Wed 20 Mar 19The appearance of moralizing gods in religion occurred after—and not before—the emergence of large, complex societies, according to new research. This finding upturns conventional thinking ...
Societies Sprang Up Before Beliefs in Big Gods, Study Says
Laboratory Equipment - Mon 25 Mar 19ArticleDid civilizations rise because of beliefs in moralizing “big gods”—or did the belief in supernatural arbiters allow societies to become more complex? Staff Author: Seth AugensteinTopics: Archaeology