Editorial: Religion and Gullibility in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Gullibility is not a unique phenomenon to religion. It appears in almost all social institutions including relationships, academia, finance, science, politics and war and justice especially criminal justice. Mercier (2017) reviewed evidence from a number of cultural domains ranging from religion and demagoguery to political propaganda and media, especially marketing and advertising in general. The study also showed that the medical field was not spared of gullible behaviour in the form of erroneous medical beliefs (Mercier 2017: 103). However, maybe more than other fields, religion has often proven to be a fertile ground for the expression of gullible behaviour, both in the portrayal of gullibility in religious characters and the devotees’ unquestioning acceptance of any notion legitimated through an appeal to the supernatural (Greenspan 2009:29).