Chapter 1: Cultural Transmission and Religion

Based on population dynamics models, the literature on cultural transmission has studied the formation and diffusion of religious traits through evolutionary and bottom-up forces such as parental socialization. This chapter provides a bird’s eye view of this approach and its main extensions. We also emphasize two additional dimensions of the cultural dynamics of religious preferences. The first is cultural blending and religious syncretism, namely the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. The second highlights the importance of purposeful and centralized authorities, such as religious leaders and institutions, that influence the cultural dynamics of religious beliefs and preferences.