Policing Sex: Explaining Demons in the Cognitive Economies of Religion
2008 ◽
Vol 8
(1-2)
◽
pp. 117-134
◽
Keyword(s):
AbstractThis article offers a cognitive theory of religious postulations of demonic beings in religious systems. I suggest a significant tension between a biological inheritance of moderate sexual promiscuity and the culturally imposed ideal of exclusive monogamy generates the salience of libidinous supernatural agents to human minds. I review sexual selection theory as applied to humans, the sexual proclivities of demonic cultural constructs, and survey the literature on demonic beings in religious systems. I offer statistical evidence of groupings of demon beliefs around the chief tension points suggested by sexual selection theory. I end with suggestions for further empirical testing of the theory.
2003 ◽
Vol 85
(3)
◽
pp. 257-278
◽
1992 ◽
Vol 45
(3)
◽
pp. 219-234
◽
2020 ◽
Vol 17
(12)
◽
pp. 4249
Keyword(s):
2009 ◽
Vol 32
(3-4)
◽
pp. 276-277
◽