ABSTRACT
This chapter covers some of the debates on religion and morality and research in the social cognitive sciences, which provides insight into the important issues. First, the chapter considers the fundamental question of whether religion makes people moral. Next, the chapter turns to the more nuanced question of how religion affects moral decision-making. It draws upon recent research in the social cognitive sciences on religious affiliation and prosociality to demonstrate the complexity of the issues at hand. The chapter then highlights how cognitive scientists of religion have contributed to discussions about religion and morality. The chapter ends with current research that links the rise of large-scale societies to the rise in monotheistic Gods who act as moral enforcers.
