Hypotheses
- "Societies with social classes are significantly more likely than others to possess a belief in superior gods" (96)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 2 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - "Supernatural sanctions for interpersonal relations are most likely to appear in societies in which there are interpersonal differences according to wealth" (174)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 2 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - ". . . the greater the number of sovereign groups in excess of two, the more likely the high god will be active and even concerned with human morality" (78)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 2 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - "Monotheism is positively related to the presence of a hierarchy of three or more sovereign groups in a society" (81)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 2 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - "Reincarnation is positively and significantly related to a settlement pattern of neighborhoods, nomadic bands, extended family compounds, and other small, but continuing units" (120)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 5 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - "There is a positive and significant relationship between the presence in a society of sovereign kinship groups other than the nuclear family and a belief that ancestral spirits are active in human affairs" (108)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 2 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - "Witchcraft tends to be prevalent when people must interact with one another on important matters in the absence of legitimized social controls and arrangements" (151)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 2 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - "The number of superior deities is positively and significantly related to the number of specialties of a type compatible with the nature of a society's ultimately sovereign organization" (96)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 2 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - "Cumulative scores which combine the number of sovereign groups in a society with the presence of unlegitimezed contacts, the size of the units of settlement, and the presence of sovereign kinship groups are related . . . to indicators of a belief in the immanence of the soul" (135-136)Swanson, Guy E. - The birth of the gods; the origin of primitive beliefs, 1960 - 5 Variables
This book investigates the origins of supernatural and religious beliefs. The author tests associations between various types of beliefs (e.g. witchcraft, monotheism) and various societal characteristics (e.g. mobility, class stratification). Many hypotheses are supported. Theoretical discussion is included, and the author posits that “the belief in a particular kind of spirit springs from experiences with a type of persisting sovereign group whose area of jurisdiction corresponds to that attributed to the spirit” (175).
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author - Within North America, societies with a higher dependence on hunting and fishing are more likely to have a guardian spirit complex (368).Swanson, Guy E. - The search for a guardian spirit: a process of empowerment in simpler societies, 1973 - 2 Variables
The complex set of beliefs and practices in which the cult of the guardian spirit consisted is examined.
Related Hypotheses Cite More By Author