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!).
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Notes
- 1.
“Der Begriff Selektion verweist auf Trennung, Aussonderung von Einheiten aus einer Gesamtheit. Er bedeutet ursprünglich die evolutionsbiologisch gerichtete ‘natürliche Auslese‘ und findet in der Soziologie zunächst Verwendung in der Applikation dieser Theorie auf kausalgesetzlich gedeutete gesellschaftliche Auswahlmechanismen (Sozialdarwinismus). Erst in der klassischen Soziologie erlangt der Begriff Selektion (soziale im Unterschied zur biologischen Auslese) die Bedeutung von sinnhaft gerichteter Orientierung.”
- 2.
“die natürliche Selektion für sich allein genommen eine vollkommen ausreichende kausale Erklärung für die Entstehung und Höherentwicklung irdischen Lebens bildet”.
- 3.
Thus, Norenzayan (2013) understands the development towards more cooperation. For King, on the other hand, emotion and the sense of belonging are responsible for man’s progressive development, while Rossano (2010) suggests that an increasing ritualization encouraged evolution, resulting in Homo sapiens and the amelioration of human interaction.
- 4.
- 5.
However, other living creatures had achieved similar success. Thus for example, the masses of dung produced by the rather modest grasses and in its wake ungulates had led to a multitude of algae, to an increased production of oxygen, and to the development of schools of anatomically modern fish – with all the complex consequences for our ecosystem (Janis 2010).
- 6.
The authors are evidently unaware of the species-issue and consequently do not know the biological species concept with its focus on the mutual recognition and acceptance of potential mating partners.
- 7.
- 8.
Cf. the similar statements by King (2017, pp.202–205).
- 9.
- 10.
This idea of a single and almighty God proved to be an important evolutionary advantage in Hellenistic times and late, as the Greek philosophy had also reached the realisation that ultimately, there can only be one god, even though they never went on to develop a proper monotheism. See Burkert 1985, pp. 308, 321–332.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
“Es ist eine Religion der kleinen Leute, der Schmiede und Schneider, der Getreidehändler und Strohverkäufer von Kufa, der Ladenbesitzer und Geldwechsler von der Kunasa, der Bauern und Bienenzüchter der Alawitenberge Syriens…. Es ist eine Religion von Ausgestoßenen und Zukurzgekommenen, die nie an der politischen Macht teilhatten und deren Träume von baldigem Umsturz und Weltherrschaft schon mit der Abassidischen Revolution zerstoben, um sich fortan auf das Ende der Zeiten, die Herabkunft des rettenden Mahdi oder Qaim, zu verlegen.”
- 15.
For the relationship between social environment and religious preferences, see also Schäfer 2010.
- 16.
Explicitly, Hage states: “Das frühe Christentum im Orient bot in seiner mannigfachen Gestalt in Leben und Lehre ein buntes Bild mit Tendenzen, die einerseits auf die Einheitlichkeit einer rechtgläubigen (“orthodoxen”) und gemeinsamen (“katholischen”) Bekenntnisses zielten, andererseits aber… zu der bleibenden Vielfalt führten, die auf Dauer das orientalische Christentum in seinen dann einzelnen Kirchen charakterisieren sollte.“Hage 2007, p. 25. See also Marjanen and Luomanen 2005 IX-XIII; Kosack 2014, pp. 103–105, 194–195.
- 17.
At this point, we should perhaps clarify the terminology: “Adaptive radiation: Splitting up and divergence of the descendants of a taxonomic group… Such a divergent splitting up of forms is especially likely where one, or a few, pioneer forms colonizes a habitat having a large number of empty ecological niches and no competitors.” Immelmann and Beer 1992, pp. 5–6.
- 18.
The pontifex maximus was the highest ranking of all priests and the highest guard of the ancient Roman cult, responsible for all sacred affairs in Rome. During the Republic, the pontifex maximus was elected by a people’s assembly; during the Empire, the emperor was automatically granted the title. Cameron 2016, pp. 139–159.
- 19.
Such as for example the Bogomiles, a medieval Christian community with dualistic ideas. Obolensky 1948.
- 20.
- 21.
We use the term capital here in Bourdieu’s sense (1984), who aside from economic capital also discusses the role of social capital, i.e. non-financial social assets which promote social mobility beyond economic means. Bourdieu, Pierre: Distinction: a social critique of the judgement of taste.
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Wunn, I., Grojnowski, D. (2018). Selection. In: Religious Speciation. New Approaches to the Scientific Study of Religion , vol 6. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04435-0_7
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