Economics of Religion

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The economics of religion is named after a specialization of economics on questions of religion. However, it is particularly successful in German-speaking countries in religious studies . Economics of religion deals with the connections between religious and economic topics on the one hand and the interlinking of the disciplines of religious studies and economics on the other (also economics of religion - religion of economics ). The strongest branch of research to date is in the tradition of the theory of rational decision-making . An important article at the beginning was that of Azzi / Ehrenberg, who set up a cost calculation for the time and money a household invested in religion (1975). In recent years the economist L. Iannaccone has examined various religious aspects under the premises of the theory of rational decision. The market model was applied to religious institutions and groups early on in the sociology of knowledge (see T. Luckmann, PL Berger). From his preoccupation with Max Weber , Pierre Bourdieu described the actors in the religious field in their competition and exchange of religious capital (2000). A first programmatic essay in German-language religious studies comes from B. Gladigow (1995).

The fields of work of the economics of religion

The tasks and overviews on the economics of religion are varied. Classifications can be found in B. Gladigow (1995) and L. Iannaccone, who differentiates between the levels of economic behavior of individuals, of institutions and markets. A. Koch (2006) arranges the research perspectives on religious economics as follows:

Financing religion (s) in the past and present
The questions are, among other things, where churches, temples and religious associations get their money from, how they invest it, how they pay their employees, how the churches react to economic changes; how religion or religious institutions should be described as economic factors in an economic area, how money is valued as a means of communication in a religious community and whether religious acts can be offset as a service.
The relationship between religion and economy under the umbrella of a cultural theory
It is about how religion as a cultural factor shapes so-called “soft skills” of people, how religious beliefs, ways of life and behavioral dispositions influence mentality and in this way economic behavior in an existing cultural context. This can be examined, for example, in the connection between the ethics of Protestantism and capitalism. There are some studies that pursue this question in relation to certain religious systems of meaning / religions in relation to economic form and action in a certain cultural context (e.g. Ensminger 1997, Frischkorn 1993).
Economic theories as the subject of religious studies
This includes research on economic theories, which in turn appear ideological, religious or ideological. In this sense, capitalism has been discussed as an ideology and in its myths (Deutschmann 2003). Are examined z. B. also management literature (the manager as a world folder, as a savior figure, as a company savior) and company models in their meaningful function.
Economic theories as models of religious studies for certain processes in their subject area
How can economic theories themselves be made fruitful for the formation of theories in religious studies? With the help of certain economic theories, what view of "religion" can the religious scholar get? An approach for this field of work is being sought from Pierre Bourdieu , who presents religious communication using economic terminology. Institutional economic models in particular are tested (Brinitzer 2001, 2003, Eilinghoff 2004, Maurer 2007). Another branch uses game theory results on fairness and reciprocity, some of which are correlated in the treatments with data on the subjects' religiosity (Tan 2006). With his research work "Economic Theory of Religions", Christian M. Schoppe (Schoppe, Vol. 3 of the series: Economy in State, Church and Society, Hamburg 2018) presented a first general and comprehensive theory of religions.

literature

  • Gregory Alles: Economy , in: Revista de Estudos da religio 4 (2005), 35–42.
  • Gregory Alles: Speculating on the Infinite: An Economic Re-Reading of Harvey White-house's Inside the Cult , in: Method and Theory in the Study of Religion 16 (2004), 266-291.
  • C. Azzi, R. Ehrenberg: Household allocation of time and church attendance , in: Journal of Political Economy 83.1 (1975), 27–56.
  • Pierre Bourdieu: The religious field. Texts on the economy of salvation . Edited by Stephan Egger. (= Edition discours; Vol. 11). UVK Universitäts-Verlag Konstanz, Konstanz 2000, ISBN 3-87940-580-8 .
  • Ron Brinitzer: Mental models and ideologies in institutional economics - the example of religion , in: A. Prinz, A. Steenge, A. Vogel (eds.): New institutional economics: application to religion, banking and football , Würzburg 2001.
  • Ron Brinitzer: Religion - an institutional economic analysis , Würzburg 2003.
  • Christoph Deutschmann : The Promise of Absolute Wealth: Capitalism as Religion ? , in: Dirk Baecker (ed.): Capitalism as Religion , Berlin 2003, 145–174.
  • Christian Eilinghoff: Economic Analysis of Religion. Theoretical concepts and legal policy recommendations . Lang, Frankfurt am Main et al. 2004, ISBN 3-631-52910-4 (plus dissertation, University of Hamburg, 2004).
  • Jean Ensminger: The Political Economy of Religion: An Economic Anthropologist's Perspective , in: Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics 150 (1994), 745-754.
  • Jean Ensminger: Transaction Costs and Islam: Explaining Conversion in Africa , in: Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE) 153.1 (1997), 4–29.
  • T. Frischkorn: Management as a religion? Some observations on the adaptation of religious practices in Japanese companies today , in: Zeitschrift für Religionswissenschaft 1 (1993) 50–78.
  • B. Gladigow: Balancing of life beyond death , in: J. Assmann, R. Trauplatten (ed.): Tod, Jenseits and Identity , Munich 2002, 90-109.
  • B. Gladigow: Religionsökonomie, a subdiscipline of religious studies , in: HG Kippenberg, B. Luchesi: Local Religionsgeschichte , Marburg 1995.
  • Laurence R. Iannaccone : Introduction to the Economics of Religion , in: Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 36 (1998), 1465-1496.
  • Hans G. Kippenberg : Rationality of Action in the Light of Weber's 'Religious Communities' , in: Hans G. Nutzinger (ed.): Religion, Values ​​and Economy. China and the Transformation Process in Asia , Marburg 2002, 23–42.
  • P. Seele, Peter: Is there an economic benefit in participating in rituals? An institutional economics analysis of transaction costs and institutional stability , in: Ritual Dynamics and the Science of Ritual - Vol. 3 , Ed. A. Michaels. Harrasowitz Verlag. 277-293.
  • Anne Koch: On the interdependence of religion and economy - Religionsökonomische Perspektiven , in: Martin Held, Gisela Kubon-Gilke, Richard Sturn (eds.): Ökonomie und Religion (Normative and institutional basic questions of Ökonomik Jahrbuch 6) , Marburg: Metropolis, 2007, Pp. 37-62.
  • Alfred Müller-Armack: Religion and Economy. Spiritual historical backgrounds of our European way of life . 3. Edition. Haupt, Bern and Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-258-03024-3 .
  • Andrea Maurer : "Religious worldviews - institutionalized action - economic structures. An institutional theoretical interpretation of the Protestant ethics by Max Weber", in: M. Held (ua) (ed.): Ökonomie und Religion , Marburg 2007.
  • Birger P. Priddat: "Economy of Faith?" 25 - 34 in: zfwu (magazine for business and business ethics), vol. 11, issue 1/2010.
  • Birger P. Priddat: "Benign order and heaven on earth. Capitalism as religion? About theological resources in the development of the modern economy", 25 - 136 in: Seele, P. / Pfleiderer, G. (Ed.): "Capitalism - a religion in crisis I. Basic problems of risk, trust, guilt ", Zurich: Pano & Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2013.
  • Ekkehart Schlicht: Consumption in the Hereafter? . (= Munich economic contributions; 2006–26). University of Munich, 2006 ( full text ).
  • Christian M. Schoppe: Economic Theory of Religions, Vol. 3 of the series "Economics in State, Church and Society", Ed. SG Schoppe, Hamburg 2018.
  • JHW Tan: "Religion and social preferences: an experimental study", in: Economics Letters 90 (2006), 60-67.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cf. Max Weber's work The Protestant Ethics and the 'Spirit' of Capitalism