Religion: The dynamics of cultural adaptations

The goal of science is to achieve a level of understanding which not only explains current observations but also allows us to make predictions. Can science provide this kind of understanding of religion? Can it allow us to predict how holding beliefs categorized as “religious” is likely to affect people’s lives, how these effects are likely to play out in the future or how religion itself will change? Despite its interdisciplinary nature, research in cognitive science cannot by itself provide this kind of practical understanding. In this chapter, we will argue that a broader approach, which includes insights gained through studies of cognition, can allow us to develop theories of how changes in the social environment people experience bring about religious change and changes in the values that govern their lives.