The piece argues religious fervor springs less from fear of death and more from the emotional pleasure of submitting to a maximally prestigious, protective partner. Monotheism intensifies this by positing an all‑powerful being who constantly attends to you and imposes loyalty tests. This frame helps explain why women are more religious and why wealth/status gains correlate with declining religiosity.
— If submission‑joy drives religious attachment, institutions and movements that emulate protective, high‑status guardianship can harness similar loyalty in politics and culture.
Razib Khan
2025.10.10
50% relevant
While not focused on submission, the article aligns with the broader project of explaining religious attachment through evolved psychology—citing Manvir Singh’s thesis that cross‑cultural ritual and belief (e.g., witch of Endor, Elijah, Jesus’ miracles) reflect universal cognitive intuitions—which complements accounts that root religious appeal in underlying human tendencies.
David Josef Volodzko
2025.09.28
55% relevant
Both pieces recast religious attachment less as propositional belief and more as a relational stance toward a high‑status protector; here, 'faith' is loyalty/allegiance to a divine patron (pistis under charis), which aligns with the submission/guardianship lens.
2025.09.01
50% relevant
The article’s account of non‑denominational churches organized around charismatic leaders ('cults of personality') fits the mechanism where devotion is anchored in pleasurable deference to a prestigious protector, helping explain why these churches grow as traditional denominations fade.
Tyler Cowen
2025.08.25
70% relevant
Both accounts probe why people are religious. The NBER paper emphasizes income volatility and religion’s role as a public‑goods provider in pluralistic 'marketplaces,' complementing or challenging the 'submission‑joy' mechanism by adding economic insecurity and institutional service provision as drivers.
Robin Hanson
2025.08.15
100% relevant
Hanson: 'Monotheism cranks that up by creating a partner with max dominance and prestige... attending to you all the time,' tied to women’s higher religiosity and Luke 18:25 on wealth and faith.