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Selection

  • Ina Wunn
  • Davina Grojnowski
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the New Approaches to the Scientific Study of Religion book series (NASR, volume 6)

Abstract

Religions are exposed to selection powers. Religious selection is a natural sorting process, just like natural selection in biology: certain varieties can increase more successfully than others in a given environment, which means that certain advantageous deviations can ultimately assert themselves until they determine the face of the religion. The cause for a religion’s changing appearance is the fact that through selection, a population’s set of beliefs, rules, and behaviours is formed anew in each generation. Therefore, this sorting process is a creative process, creating a multitude of new conceptions and convictions in each generation which in turn must face the sorting process. Certain varieties can propagate themselves more successfully in a given milieu (and perhaps even in a changing milieu!).

Keywords

Selection Concepts of selection Pool of extant entities 
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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ina Wunn
    • 1
  • Davina Grojnowski
    • 2
  1. 1.Faculty of PhilosophyLeibniz University of HanoverHanoverGermany
  2. 2.Formerly King’s CollegeLondonUK

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