Complex societies gave birth to big gods, not the other way around: study
(PHYSorg.com Archaeology & Fossils)

An international research team, including a member of the Complexity Science Hub Vienna, investigated the role of `big gods` in the rise of complex large-scale societies. Big gods are defined as moralizing deities who punish ethical transgressions. Contrary to prevailing theories, the team found that beliefs in big gods are a consequence, not a cause, of the evolution of complex societies. The results are published in the current issue of the journal Nature.