Rationality and the “Religious Mind”

The social‐scientific study of religion has long presumed that religious thought is “primitive,” non‐rational, incompatible with science, and (thus) doomed to decline. Contemporary evidence, however, suggests that religious involvement correlates with good mental health, responds to perceived costs and benefits, and persists in the face advanced education and scientific training. Although professors, scientists, and other highly educated Americans are less religious than the general population, the magnitude of this effect is similar to those associated with gender, race, and other demographic traits. Moreover, “hard” science faculty are more often religious than faculty in the humanities or social sciences. ( JEL Z10)