Creating God

The 'Creating God' episode of the 'Hidden Brain' podcast, hosted by Shankar Vedantam, explores the intersection of religion and human behavior through the lens of social science. The episode examines the work of psychology professor Azim Sharif, who studies religion from a psychological perspective, rather than a spiritual or theological one. Sharif suggests that religion emerged as a cultural innovation to address the challenges of cooperation and trust in increasingly large and complex societies that began to form around 12,000 years ago. These societies required mechanisms beyond genetic kinship to maintain social cohesion and prevent cheating and free-riding behaviors that could undermine group harmony.

Sharif's research indicates that the belief in a punitive, omniscient God served as a psychological innovation to compel cooperation and trustworthy behavior. Studies cited in the episode, including experiments on cheating behavior and charitable giving in the context of the Muslim call to prayer, demonstrate that religious cues can significantly influence human behavior. However, other studies, like the Good Samaritan study, show that religious narratives are not always effective in altering behavior, especially when individuals are preoccupied with immediate concerns, such as being in a rush.

The episode also delves into the types of gods that societies worship, arguing that belief in punitive gods is associated with less cheating, while belief in forgiving gods might actually increase cheating. This is tied to the idea that the most successful religions, in terms of growth and spread, have historically centered around the concept of supernatural punishment. Sharif further discusses the evolution of religious beliefs and practices, examining how they have adapted to the needs of societies over time, including the regulation of family values and sexual behavior to promote population growth and societal expansion.

Throughout the episode, Vedantam contrasts the clinical view of religion with the personal, emotional experiences of faith described by religious scholars and practitioners. These narratives highlight the deep meaning and comfort that individuals derive from their religious practices, which can differ significantly from the functional explanations proposed by social scientists.