• Corpus ID: 9657770

Introduction to the Economics of Religion

@article{Iannaccone1998IntroductionTT,
  title={Introduction to the Economics of Religion},
  author={Laurence R. Iannaccone},
  journal={Journal of Economic Literature},
  year={1998},
  volume={36},
  pages={1465-1495}
}
  • L. Iannaccone
  • Published 1998
  • Economics
  • Journal of Economic Literature
After a very long hiatus, economists have begun again to study the relationship between economics and religion. This article seeks to summarize and evaluate the principal themes and empirical findings that have appeared in some 200 recent papers on the economics of religion. Although some of the research concerns the economic consequences of religiosity, most applies standard economic theory to the study of individual religious activity, the characteristics of religious groups, and the impact… 
colorado.edu
1,612 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
114
Background Citations
617
Methods Citations
38
Results Citations
41

Figures and Tables from this paper

1,612 Citations

The Experimental Economics of Religion
This paper surveys the experimental economics approach to the study of religion. The field has a place in the context of the scientific study of religion generally and the social psychology of…
Being religious - A Question of Incentives?
Studies of the relationship between religion and economics can be divided into three major lines of research: behavioural economics of religion (microeconomic approach), macroeconomic consequences of…
Extremism and the Economics of Religion
By modeling religious activity as a product of rational choice and market forces, the economics of religion offers new insights concerning religious trends, the consequences of religious freedom,…
A Critical review of economic analyses of religion
Recent years have seen increasing interest in economic analyses of religion. We carry out a critical review of Economics of Religion (EoR) in this review essay. We find that on the one hand EoR has…
Religious values and economic growth. A review and assessment of recent studies
Recent years have seen an increasing interest in and controversy about the role of religion in society. This paper reviews recent studies on the influence of religion on institutions and economic…
Implications of the Economics of Religion to the Empirical Economic Research
This paper collects most recent developments in the emerging economic sub-area Economics of Religion. According to secularization thesis, the importance of beliefs and religious activities should…
Religious affiliation and economic development: a recent literature review
This article provides an overview of the recent literature relevant to the study of the relation between economics and religion. The paper also appeals to the critical review on the implications of…
Effects of competition on religious markets: some empirical evidence
The aim of this article is to assess, from an empirical point of view, the relative explanatory capacities of two hypotheses that address the link between economics and religion: the religious…
Effects of competition on religious markets: some empirical evidence
The aim of this article is to assess, from an empirical point of view, the relative explanatory capacities of two hypotheses that address the link between economics and religion: the religious…
On Economics and Religion
SummaryThis essay reviews the literature on the economics of religion in the perspective of the current debate on norms and values in the Netherlands and elsewhere. The main emphasis is on religion…
...
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 187 REFERENCES
Deregulating religion: the economics of church and state
Traditional religious research fails to recognize religion as a market phenomenon. It especially overlooks supply-side factors that shape the incentives and opportunities of religious firms,…
Mr. Smith and the Preachers: The Economics of Religion in the Wealth of Nations
The extension of economic analysis to problems beyond the domain of formal markets and explicit prices represents a major recent intellectual development. But "economic imperialism" is not new and…
The Consequences of Religious Market Structure
In a largely ignored chapter of The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith laid the foundation for an economic theory of religious institutions. Smith emphasized the importance of market structure, describing…
Economic Analysis and Organised Religion
This chapter analyses some phenomena in organized religion from the point of view of economics. It is argued that religious activity derives from the individual's quest for sense and justification…
A Formal Model of Church and Sect
The sociology of religion is an area rich in generalizations but poor in theory. Against this background, economic models offer the hope of better theory and more precise predictions. Previous work…
Religion, liberty and economic development: An empirical investigation
ConclusionThe empirical investigations conducted for this paper show that one can not accept the null hypothesis that religion and liberty are not related to development. Judeo-Christianity in…
RISK, RATIONALITY, AND RELIGIOUS PORTFOLIOS
This paper derives a theory of religious behavior and organization from the assumption that people seek to limit the risk associated with their religious activities. Alternative risk reduction…
Religion and the Rise of Capitalism
In one of the truly great classics of twentieth-century political economy, R. H. Tawney addresses the question of how religion has affected social and economic practices. He does this by a relentless…
Hell, Religion, and Cultural Change
This paper's key conclusion is that church doctrine about the afterlife is a function of factors predictable with economic theory. Religion, like govern­ ment, family, and community can enforce…
The Effect of Religious Market Competition on Church Giving
This paper contributes to the debate over the effects of religious pluralism on religosity. A key innovative feature of the paper is the use of voluntary contributions from members as a measure of…
...
...