Religious cosmologies and homicide rates among nations: a closer look
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Authors
Jensen, Gary F.
Issue Date
2006
Volume
8
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Type
Journal Article
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Abstract
Although religion has been viewed as playing an important role in the maintenance of moral order, the most recent analysis of variation in homicide rates among nations argues that homicide is facilitated by high levels of religiosity (Paul). That analysis, however, was based on scatter-plots for eighteen “prosperous nations” and focused primarily on the United States compared to “secular” nations. Because there are numerous dimensions to religiosity and a variety of alternative explanations of homicide rates, a more complex analysis is required before more definitive conclusions can be reached. This study attempts such an analysis for a much larger sample of nations and tests Durkheim’s hypotheses that religious passion, as a variable characteristic of nations, is a positive correlate of homicide rates. A multiple regression analysis reveals a complex relationship with some dimensions of religiosity encouraging homicide and other dimensions discouraging it. The relationships found not only survive controls for variables proposed in prior research, but also suggest major modifications to theories focusing on economic variables as characteristics of nations.
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Citation
Jensen, Gary F. (2006), Religious cosmologies and homicide rates among nations: a closer look. Journal of Religion & Society, 8.
Publisher
Rabbi Myer and Dorothy Kripke Center, Creighton University
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1522-5658