Harvey Whitehouse

Chair of Social Anthropology
Director of the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology
University of Oxford

What He Studies

The evolution of social complexity—as one of the founders of the cognitive science of religion, he is well known for his theory of “modes of religiosity,” which explains how the frequency and emotional intensity of collective rituals influence the scale and structure of religious organizations.

recent articles on Religion & Culture

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in the news

To Understand Religion, Think Football

Sacred beliefs likely arose out of prehistoric bonding and rituals.
— Nautilus

Why Your Lucky Underwear And Pre-Game Routine Might Actually Work

One in three students in the U.K. wears lucky underwear. And while you might laugh their habits off, there's a reason that those rituals might actually work.
— Smithsonian.com

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Connect

School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography
51 Banbury Road
Oxford
OX2 6PE

Phone: +44 (0) 1865 274705
Email: harvey.whitehouse@anthro.ox.ac.uk

Religion & Culture experts