Abstract
The premise in the psychology of religion which maintains that religion is a response to an unmanageable stress or threat is shown to have applicability above the level of the individual. It is shown to be inherent in the function of institutionalized religion for families. Oppressed minorities, marginal classes, and primitive tribes show similar responses when their security is endangered. This is manifested by crisis cults, millennial cults, and nativist churches. Reference is made to the historical works of Arthur Toynbee, and it is suggested that high civilizations likewise evolve a buffering religion when endangered or disintegrating. A principle of behavior true at all levels of social organization can be considered to be an axiom in the psychology of religion.
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