The birth of the gods revisited: a partial replication of guy swanson's (1960) cross-cultural study of religion

Cross-Cultural Research • Published In • Pages: 84-112 •
By Peregrine, Peter N.

Abstract

This article retests several hypotheses from Swanson’s (1960) study on the origins of religious belief. The author finds support for an association between high gods and large communities, multiple levels of political hierarchy, and social differentiation. No support is found for Swanson’s other hypotheses concerning polytheism, ancestral spirits, reincarnation, the soul, witchcraft, and morality and their relations to social, political, and economic variables.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
OtherCombinationEncyclopedia of World Cultures, Volume 1: North America. All societies in the sample are Native American.

Hypotheses (2)

HypothesisSupported
The presence of monotheistic high gods will be more likely in societies with three or more types of sovereign groups ranked in hierarchical order (89).Supported
The presence of sovereign kinship organization will be associated with a belief in active ancestral spirits (94).Not Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: Kate Cummings  Amelia Piazza