The Evolutionist View of Religion

The Evolutionist View of Religion — This conventional kinship hypothesis of religion proposes that serving God and serving the “circle” of people to whom one is psychologically (and sometimes genetically) tied become synonymous.  Over time the “circle of kin” expands to include more and more non-relatives, as within-group ties are strengthened by shared practices and beliefs. A key step in this process involves the onset of belief in the supernatural, beginning when the influence of the ancestors was felt in the group even after their death.  Such a view depends on defining religion as “a sociocultural belief and behavior system involving both supernatural ideas and morality” and offers an instructional opportunity for contrast with the Gospel.