The Central Characteristic of Religiosity Is Integration into a Moral Community, not Supernaturalism

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" The Central Characteristic of Religiosity Is Integration into a Moral Community, not Supernaturalism "
Kevin McCaffree

Document Type	:	AL
Record Number	:	1083254
Doc. No	:	LA126883
Call No	:	‭10.1163/25892525-bja10010‬
Language of Document	:	English
Main Entry	:	Kevin McCaffree
Title & Author	:	The Central Characteristic of Religiosity Is Integration into a Moral Community, not Supernaturalism [Article]\ Kevin McCaffree
Publication Statement	:	Leiden: Brill
Title of Periodical	:	Secular Studies
Date	:	2020
Volume/ Issue Number	:	2/2
Page No	:	179–182
Abstract	:	Researchers often define religion according to the presence (vs. absence) of supernaturalism. This has several serious shortcomings: (1) it construes religion narrowly as a historical/anthropological phenomenon, (2) it ignores the underlying evolved cognitive mechanisms facilitating tight group membership, which operate regardless of belief content and (3) it ensures that the study of religion will be obsolete if secularization continues. Instead of a slavish adherence to the criteria of supernaturalism, I suggest here a broader and more evolutionarily-informed definition of religion (and secularity): religion is what emerges when individuals become highly (perhaps overly-) integrated into a moral community; secularity is what emerges when individuals are moderately (perhaps under-) integrated into a moral community. Researchers often define religion according to the presence (vs. absence) of supernaturalism. This has several serious shortcomings: (1) it construes religion narrowly as a historical/anthropological phenomenon, (2) it ignores the underlying evolved cognitive mechanisms facilitating tight group membership, which operate regardless of belief content and (3) it ensures that the study of religion will be obsolete if secularization continues. Instead of a slavish adherence to the criteria of supernaturalism, I suggest here a broader and more evolutionarily-informed definition of religion (and secularity): religion is what emerges when individuals become highly (perhaps overly-) integrated into a moral community; secularity is what emerges when individuals are moderately (perhaps under-) integrated into a moral community.
Descriptor	:	civil religion
Descriptor	:	collective conscience
Descriptor	:	moral community
Descriptor	:	religion
Descriptor	:	secularity
Descriptor	:	secularization
Location & Call number	:	‭10.1163/25892525-bja10010‬