Religion persists because it supplies collective identity, not just beliefs

Evidence

Religion remains a potent source of attitudes, motivation, and behavior because it provides its members with both a coherent meaning system and a collective identity. In this chapter, I will argue that one reason why religion remains such powerful force in individuals’ lives is that it is inherently a social endeavor that provides members with a strong collective identity. To achieve this goal, I will rely on Marilynn Brewer and her colleagues’ extensive work on the importance of the collective in structuring identity and shaping behavior and cognition of individuals. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 889

Categorization

• XREF: Directly parallels the reader’s interest (from social capital work) in how collective structures channel individual behavior. — connects to: Traditional religions counteracted paranoia through collective structure; Religious truth is measured by collective need rather than solitary validity — Fredric Jameson, Marxism and Form, 301; Congregational life generates communal belonging while steering clear of politics — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long: The Legacy of White…, 212