Cognitive scientists of religion argue that religious ideas are
widespread because they are minimally counterintuitive.
Traditional lab studies have found support for a better
memory for minimally counterintuitive concepts. This paper
presents an in-depth case study of the spread of a
counterintuitive religious idea in the real world. It finds that
counterintuitiveness alone is not sufficient to guarantee
persistence of a religious belief. Novel religious beliefs have
to be painstakingly woven into the cultural fabric of a group’s
shared social identity to ensure its survival.
