ABSTRACT
This chapter is the pivotal work in a series of articles that present a new exchange paradigm for analyzing and explaining religious phenomena and that subject it to a variety of empirical tests. The form of deductive theories requires selecting some small number of rules governing the phenomena to be explained. If these are the correct axioms, the logical permutations will give rise to a number of propositions that will predict or prohibit certain relations within the domain addressed by the theory. The concept of compensators is the key to the theory of religion that follows. When humans cannot obtain strongly desired rewards they persist in their efforts and may often accept explanations that provide only compensators not the rewards themselves. The role of religious organizations in producing and promulgating compensators will be obvious. A major emphasis in religious proselytization is that religion will provide a cure for pain and trouble.
