ABSTRACT
Michael Argyle first introduced the social learning theory of religion: The theory states that religious behaviour, beliefs and experiences are simply part of the culture, and are regularly transmitted from generation to generation, in the same way as all other customs. Social learning takes place through identification and modeling, conscious as well as unconscious. Religious socialization is not just about learning a particular belief system, but a general introduction to the supernaturalist premise, the notion of the invisible world shared by all religions. The social learning of religion presents religious ideas as part of social reality. Religious individuals identify with and participate in a cohesive community, sharing norms, beliefs, and actions. Religious identity may be more forceful than other kinds, because of the notion of election and superiority. Comparing religion and nationalism points to a clear difference, which is the reliance on supernaturalism in the case of religion, and on common fate and identity in the case of nationalism.
