%0 Journal Article %J Current Directions in Psychological Science %D 2018 %T Belief in God: Why People Believe, and Why They Don’t %A Mercier, Brett %A Kramer, Stephanie R. %A Shariff, Azim F. %X

Belief in a god or gods is a central feature in the lives of billions of people and a topic of perennial interest within psychology. However, research over the past half decade has achieved a new level of understanding regarding both the ultimate and proximate causes of belief in God. Ultimate causes?the evolutionary influences on a trait?shed light on the adaptive value of belief in God and the reasons why a tendency toward this belief exists in humans. Proximate causes?the immediate influences on the expression of a trait?explain variation and changes in belief. We review this research and discuss remaining barriers to a fuller understanding of belief in God.

%B Current Directions in Psychological Science %V 27 %P 263 - 268 %8 2018/08/01 %@ 0963-7214 %G eng %U http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0963721418754491 %N 4 %! Curr Dir Psychol Sci %R https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721418754491