A half-Irish exit

Richard Sosis extended an invitation to me a decade ago to become an editor for Religion, Brain & Behavior (RBB), marking the beginning of a profoundly fulfilling phase of my career. The journal has consistently aimed to foster a scientifically rigorous yet supportive community of scholars. Contributing to this mission has been a privilege, and I am proud of our collective achievements.

I am particularly proud of our “Standards” issue, where we challenged the norm of default standards for evaluating scientific reports. We advocated for clear articulation of research questions and designs and for precise reporting of uncertainty in results (Bulbulia et al., 2016). Equally, our “retake” initiative stands out, offering scientists a platform to refine and enhance their prior research (Bulbulia et al., 2021). It was a pleasure to support a “retake” of a previously retracted Nature paper, whose next iteration was sound and indeed one of the strongest recent contributions to our field (Whitehouse et al., 2023). Although there have been many successes, these two initiatives were especially rewarding. They supported a more reliable, sane, and supportive environment for scientific inquiry within academic publishing.

In one sense, our work for excellent science might seem superfluous, given the historical inevitability of scientific progress. However, the scientific study of religion demonstrates that the pace of this progress can be slow and erratic, with considerable scope for back-sliding. Early 20th-century scholars laid the foundations for a rigorous scientific study of religion (De Coulanges, 1903; Durkheim, 1995; James, 1902; Weber, 1905). However, by the mid-1970s, only comparative archaeology had made significant strides (Wheatley, 1971), which waned by the end of the 20th century. Consequently, in order to observe progress within our own lifetimes, it is necessary to actively support institutions that expedite advancement. Because I value the scientific study of religion, supporting RBB’s mission to accelerate progress – and then witnessing the gains – has been deeply gratifying.

As readers of this journal will be aware, the 21st century witnessed a revival in the scientific study of religion. The works of RBB editors have contributed substantially to its progress. Richard Sosis's integration of principled biological theory (Sosis, 2003), purpose-built historical (Sosis & Bressler, 2003) and cultural (Sosis et al., 2007) databases, and randomized controlled experiments (Sosis & Ruffle, 2003) set a new scientific standard for the field. I see the word “pioneer” used rather freely in grant applications, however, Sosis’s work was unquestionably pioneering and continues to inspire much productive research. Further advances came through the quantitative field studies and theoretical insights of John Shaver in behavioral ecology (Shaver et al., 2019; Shaver & Sosis, 2014) and through the contributions of former RBB editor Uffe Schjoedt (Schjoedt et al., 2009; Schjødt et al., 2008), and Irene Cristofori to the emerging neuroscience of religion (Cristofori et al., 2016, 2021; Grafman et al., 2020). Wesley Wildman's application of simulation methods has unlocked new possibilities for inference in settings where empirical data are scarce (which is nearly everywhere) (Wildman et al., 2017; Wildman & Sosis, 2011). Suzanne Hoogeveen’s research illustrates the potential of global scientific research networks for efficiently and inclusively clarifying variability in religious cognition across different cultures (Hoogeveen et al., 2022, 2023). Of course, many researchers outside the RBB editorial team have propelled the field forward, however, each of the journal’s editors stands out as an exceptional, inspiring scientist. Apart from supporting a journal whose mission I believe in, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked so closely with these excellent scientists.

As I prepare to step down, however, it is not the science that comes foremost to mind. It is rather the wonderful friendships that the journal has supported for me. Although I was tempted to make an “Irish Exit” from the journal, ducking out the back door without making a fuss, I want to publicly express my profound gratitude to the RBB team for making our collaboration so personally meaningful and enjoyable.

Thanks to:

Joel Daniels and David Rohr, the journal's administrative editors and unsung heroes whose efficiency, patience, and decency have been the backbone of RBB's operations.

Uffe Schjoedt, for igniting my interest in science back in 2006 and for showing me there's more to science than promoting a compelling theory.

Irene Cristofori, for her exemplary patience, balance, and intellect, and for teaching me much about both neuroscience and grace under pressure.

Suzanne Hoogeveen, whose dedication to ambitious, meticulous, and thoughtful research inspires hope. Whenever I hear the expression “crisis in psychological science” the image of Suzanne leaps to mind as the solution.

Wesley Wildman, a rare polymath whose extraordinary leadership, energy, intellectual capacity, and creativity are unparalleled. I look forward to keeping in touch.

John Shaver, a close friend outside the journal and a famous supporter of Pittsburgh sports in New Zealand. I look forward to the adventures, and Steelers updates, ahead.

Richard Sosis, for his friendship, support, and good humor throughout my career. Rich has long been my rock. And his example has influenced me to become a better father (Sosis, 2023). We were friends before the journal, and we’ll be friends after. I thank Rich sincerely for inviting me along for this chapter and for all the memories we made here together with the other editors.

Looking at the journal's next editorial team, about which you will receive more news in the next issue, the future looks very bright indeed. Although it is with mixed feelings that I depart, my dominant feelings are excitement and hope.

Finally, even as I step back from editorial responsibilities, I am by no means exiting completely. I remain enthusiastic about continuing my involvement with Religion, Brain & Behavior as a board member, reviewer, and author. Like the setting sun, I turn to a new dawn.