Welcome to the Economics of Religion Gateway!
This site is brought to you by the Center for the Economic Study of Religion. Here you will be able to access websites of various organizations such as CESR and ASREC - the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics and Culture. You will also be able to access Larry Iannaccone's Homepage as well as course information involving the study in Economics of Religion and other courses taught by Iannaccone at George Mason University. For those interested in research - browse the Links site or check the Archives for past papers on the economic study of religion.
Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the organization of this new website. You'll find all the information from the old websites, plus much more.
What is the economic study of religion?
The economic study of religion comprises a variety of subfields, which collectively embrace all aspects of the social-scientific study of religion. It is by no means limited to questions concerning the commercial economy or monetary aspects of religion.
- Studies of the current and historic role of religion in advancing or impeding economic development, social progress, moral development, scientific and technology advances, and so forth.
- Economic studies of religious beliefs, behavior, and institutions. (Examples: Explanations for conversion and commitment that emphasize choice and rationality over irrationality and indoctrination. Rational explanations for the success of “extreme,” “fundamentalist,” and “conservative” groups and weakness of more “liberal,” “mainstream” groups.)
- Religiously-oriented critiques of economic theory and practice. (E.g., “Christian economics,” “Biblical Economics,” and “Islamic Economics.” Religiously-oriented critiques of capitalism, socialism, materialism, specific economic practices, etc.
- Theoretical and observed differences between different forms of religion. (E.g., religion versus “magic”, and monotheism versus polytheism. Why Christianity displaced Greco-Roman paganism, and why polytheism is less morally constraining than monotheism.)
- Studies of religious “markets”. (E.g., Alternatives to traditional “secularization” theory that emphasize the centrality of innovation, entrepreneurship, and competition in the “religious marketplace.” Market-oriented explanations for America’s religious vitality versus Europe’s religious decline.)
- Studies of religious commitment and religious groups influence the well-being of individuals, families, youth, communities, and nations.
- Studies of religious trends, the personal and social determinants of religiosity, and the relationship between religious and political/social/economic attitudes.
- Policy implications regarding the state regulation of religion, religious liberty, church-state relationships, the treatment of minority and deviant faiths, etc.
