%0 Journal Article %A Vardy, Thomas %A Atkinson, Quentin D. %+ Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Max Planck Society %T Moralistic and local god beliefs and the extent of prosocial preferences on Tanna Island, Vanuatu : %G eng %U https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000A-561F-4 %R 10.1080/2153599X.2021.2006290 %7 2022-04-06 %D 2022 %* Review method: peer-reviewed %X The co-existence of Christian and indigenous “Kastom” belief systems on Tanna Island, Vanuatu provides a rare opportunity to explore the relationship between cooperation and religion. Here, we use data on religious beliefs and practices, religious priming, and four versions of a dictator game at two sites—one predominantly Christian and one predominantly Kastom—to test a suite of hypotheses linking prosocial behavior to beliefs about and commitment to both a powerful moralistic god and a less morally concerned local supernatural force. We found belief that the moralistic god was more punitive did not predict increased giving towards co-religionists but did predict giving more to a religious outgroup member over a co-religionist. Belief that the moralistic god was more rewarding predicted less giving towards a distant coreligionist or outgroup member. Religious commitment predicted giving to a distant coreligionist over someone from one's own village. We did not find any effect of beliefs about and commitment to less morally-concerned local supernatural forces on giving. We also did not find the predicted effects of religious priming on giving. These findings suggest a more complex relationship between religious beliefs and prosocial behavior than current theory can accommodate. %K Religion, god, deity, cooperation, prosocial, supernatural punishment, Vanuatu %J Religion, Brain Behavior %V 12 %N 1-2 %& 79 %P 79 - 96 %I Routledge %@ 2153-59812153-599X