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Big gods came after the rise of civilisations, not before, finds study using huge historical database

Phys.org - Thu 21 Mar 19

When 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 19

An 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 19

A search for the origin of religions

Complex societies precede moralizing gods throughout world history

Nature News - Wed 20 Mar 19

Complex 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 19

How 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 19

And 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 19

Researchers 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 19

From 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 19

The 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 19

ArticleDid 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