Max Weber is famous for linking religion to economic outcomes in his monumental book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.  Since that time we have seen social scientific interest in linking religion to economic growth wane and then be resurrected.  Charles North, associate professor of economics at Baylor University, discusses his own work exploring the nexus between faith and economics.

Our conversation begins with a general survey of the literature that sees religion as a potential causal factor in economic development.  Chuck presents the basic Weberian model and then fast forwards to the present where there has been a renewed interest in including religious variables (whether belief or practice) into econometric models for explaining growth.  He covers the likes of Robert Barro & Rachel McCleary, Joseph Daniels & Marc van der Ruhr, Sacha Becker & Ludger Woessman, and sociologists such as Rodney Stark.  Most of these scholars are interested in explaining GDP growth and we cover what GDP is and what it doesn’t necessarily measure.

Prof. North then turns to his research, which focuses on the rule of law and the related concept of corruption.  He reasons that since a number of economists have pointed out the strong relationship between the rule of law (or absence of corruption) and long-term economic growth, it might be worthwhile to investigate whether or not religious variables help to explain these two things.  He lays out his reasoning noting that rule of law helps to lower transaction costs and reduce uncertainty when it comes to investing, and that religious individuals (or the norms they follow) may have an impact in promoting and living by the rule of law (and, conversely, mitigating corruption).  We then go over the measurements he used, talking about the database provided by the World Christian Encyclopedia and how he worked with that.  Chuck’s research (with Wafa Orman and Carl Gwin) indicates that nations that had Protestant, Catholic, and Hindu majorities a century ago have higher levels of rule of law than nations with other major faith traditions (e.g., Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy).

Our conversation closes out with some of the more micro-foundational reasons for these research findings, as well as thinking about possible confounding factors.  Interestingly, this conversation leads us back to the medieval era and Chuck’s work on the development of canon law around the time of the 11th century.  Arguing that the Catholic Church needed to develop rules to protect its “stuff and junk” from various princes and kings, Europe benefited from the rise of a system of rule of law that lasted for centuries.  Recorded: April 1, 2014 (no fooling).

RELATED LINKS

 Prof. Charles North’s bio at Baylor University’s Department of Economics (Hankamer School of Business).

Good Intentions: Nine Hot-Button Issues Viewed through the Eyes of Faith, by Charles North and Bob Smietana.

“Religion, Corruption, and the Rule of Law,” by Charles M. North, Wafa Hakim Orman, and Carl Gwin in Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking.

The Victory of Reason, by Rodney Stark (mentioned in podcast).

The Long Divergence, by Timur Kuran (mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

 Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II.

Timur Kuran on Islamic Law and Economic Development.

Timur Kuran on Islamic Economics.

Joseph Daniels on Religion and Trust.

Jared Rubin on Christian and Islamic Economic History.

Religious Liberty & Economic Development: A Panel Discussion.

Robert Woodberry on Missionaries and Democracy.

More podcasts on Religion & Economics.

How does a Christian economist approach the religious charge of helping one’s neighbor?  We talk with Art Carden, assistant professor of economics at Samford University and a senior research fellow at the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics, about the relationship between Christian ethics, economic growth, and the best way to help one’s neighbor.  The podcast starts out with a dose of good news in these troubling times, and we try to figure out why the past two centuries have been truly unique in human history.  Art reveals some of the basic institutions that have arisen to help promote a phenomenal growth in living standards.  These institutions include private property rights, honest government, competitive markets and free trade.  But economic growth is more than just “getting the institutions right.”  Prof. Carden points out that it is also about “getting the rhetoric right.”  We delve into this topic by looking at how seemingly well-intentioned policies often have unintended consequences.  This discussion is peppered with a number of different examples including laws against price gouging during a disaster, minimum wage laws, donating clothing to earthquake victims, and even holding toy and food drives at church.  Prof. Carden then discusses the work he is doing with the Institute of Faith, Work and Economics in trying to help theologians and other Christians gain a better understanding of basic economics, and how this might help them achieve their goals of alleviating the plight of the suffering.  He ends on an optimistic note about these efforts with a thankful nod to the internet and podcast series like this one.  Recorded: October 29, 2012.  (It should be noted that several of the predictions about anti-gouging laws that we made in the run-up to Hurricane Sandy have turned out to be true in its aftermath, including shortages of gasoline and other essential supplies.)

It has been said that the only thing certain in life are death and taxes.  If that is the case, then Dr. Sarah Bond — assistant professor of history at Marquette University — has discovered a very interesting topic for research.  Prof. Bond examines the changes to the funeral industry that occured in the Late Antiquity portion of the Roman Empire resulting from Constantine’s Edict of Milan.  Through the course of this interview, we find out that workers in the “death industry” received some pretty sweet tax exemptions for their service.  And this wasn’t the only noteworthy item about the lives of what Sarah refers to as “disreputable workers.”

We begin with a discussion of Sarah’s general work on “disreputable professions” in ancient times, and she defines what this term means — careers in occupations that most people find distasteful and whose workers tend to remain “invisible,” yet critically important, to society.  Funeral workers are the classic example of such a profession given that their contact with the deceased (who often die in violent or vile ways) conveys a sense of “death pollution” on them.  Sarah notes that in pagan times, funeral workers were required to live outside of the city walls and would only be allowed into the city under the cover of dark to retrieve bodies.  We discuss several of the other traditions associated with death at the time, including the preference for cremation over inhumation (i.e., burial).

With the rise of Emperor Constantine (and his co-Emperor Licinius in the East), things begin to change.  The Edict of Milan puts Christianity on an equal footing as pagan religions, and soon thereafter the Church begins to see a flood of state financial support.  Being a bishop now conveys more political and economic power in the Empire, and with it come changes in how the funeral industry operates.  Sarah discusses how stronger patron-client relationships between bishops and funeral workers emerge, and how these funeral workers were often employed as personal “gangs” or “para-militaries” for the Church hierarchs.  Some of the stories are incredible!  Along the way, we also are given a sense for who is all involved in the funeral process, including paid mourners.  Sarah teaches Tony a number of very cool Latin words.  Prof. Bond also talks about the Cult of the Saints, and how the desire by wealthy people to be buried near a Christian saint, and the general lack of burial space (a scarce commodity), led to a great deal of corruption.  Tony, ever the political economists, points out that this is an excellent example of rent-seeking behavior wherein a small group with coercive power controls access to a scarce resource and can extract all sorts of additional income and favors in exchange for that access.

Dr. Bond concludes our podcast with her reflections on what the study of the death industry and other “disreputable professions” in Late Antiquity can teach us about our current conditions.  While the institutions of funeral services have changed over time, she notes that we still have certain cultural visions about people who provide these valuable services to society.  Tell your friends about this truly fascinating discussion as it has valuted upwards to become one of Tony’s favorite podcasts over the course of 170 other interviews.  Please connect with us via our Facebook Fan Page for regular updates.  Recorded: October 3, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Sarah Bond’s webpage at Marquette University.

RELATED PODCASTS

Gary Laderman on Resting in Peace: The Death Industry in American History.

Jim Papandrea on the Church Fathers and Patristic Exegisis.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part I.

Brian O’Neel on Saint Who?

Our conversation begins with a general survey of the literature that sees religion as a potential causal factor in economic development.  Chuck presents the basic Weberian model and then fast forwards to the present where there has been a renewed interest in including religious variables (whether belief or practice) into econometric models for explaining growth.  He covers the likes of Robert Barro & Rachel McCleary, Joseph Daniels & Marc van der Ruhr, Sacha Becker & Ludger Woessman, and sociologists such as Rodney Stark.  Most of these scholars are interested in explaining GDP growth and we cover what GDP is and what it doesn’t necessarily measure.

Prof. North then turns to his research, which focuses on the rule of law and the related concept of corruption.  He reasons that since a number of economists have pointed out the strong relationship between the rule of law (or absence of corruption) and long-term economic growth, it might be worthwhile to investigate whether or not religious variables help to explain these two things.  He lays out his reasoning noting that rule of law helps to lower transaction costs and reduce uncertainty when it comes to investing, and that religious individuals (or the norms they follow) may have an impact in promoting and living by the rule of law (and, conversely, mitigating corruption).  We then go over the measurements he used, talking about the database provided by the World Christian Encyclopedia and how he worked with that.  Chuck’s research (with Wafa Orman and Carl Gwin) indicates that nations that had Protestant, Catholic, and Hindu majorities a century ago have higher levels of rule of law than nations with other major faith traditions (e.g., Islam, Eastern Orthodoxy).

Our conversation closes out with some of the more micro-foundational reasons for these research findings, as well as thinking about possible confounding factors.  Interestingly, this conversation leads us back to the medieval era and Chuck’s work on the development of canon law around the time of the 11th century.  Arguing that the Catholic Church needed to develop rules to protect its “stuff and junk” from various princes and kings, Europe benefited from the rise of a system of rule of law that lasted for centuries.  Recorded: April 1, 2014 (no fooling).

RELATED LINKS

 Prof. Charles North’s bio at Baylor University’s Department of Economics (Hankamer School of Business).

Good Intentions: Nine Hot-Button Issues Viewed through the Eyes of Faith, by Charles North and Bob Smietana.

“Religion, Corruption, and the Rule of Law,” by Charles M. North, Wafa Hakim Orman, and Carl Gwin in Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking.

The Victory of Reason, by Rodney Stark (mentioned in podcast).

The Long Divergence, by Timur Kuran (mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

 Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II.

Timur Kuran on Islamic Law and Economic Development.

Timur Kuran on Islamic Economics.

Joseph Daniels on Religion and Trust.

Jared Rubin on Christian and Islamic Economic History.

Religious Liberty & Economic Development: A Panel Discussion.

Robert Woodberry on Missionaries and Democracy.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/world-region/global/charles-north-on-religion-economic-development-and-rule-of-law/feed 4 http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/sarah-bond-on-the-church-and-funerals-in-late-antiquity http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/sarah-bond-on-the-church-and-funerals-in-late-antiquity#comments Sun, 06 Oct 2013 08:00:56 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=2848 It has been said that the only thing certain in life are death and taxes.  If that is the case, then Dr. Sarah Bond — assistant professor of history at Marquette University — has discovered a very interesting topic for research.  Prof. Bond examines the changes to the funeral industry that occured in the Late Antiquity portion of the Roman Empire resulting from Constantine’s Edict of Milan.  Through the course of this interview, we find out that workers in the “death industry” received some pretty sweet tax exemptions for their service.  And this wasn’t the only noteworthy item about the lives of what Sarah refers to as “disreputable workers.”

We begin with a discussion of Sarah’s general work on “disreputable professions” in ancient times, and she defines what this term means — careers in occupations that most people find distasteful and whose workers tend to remain “invisible,” yet critically important, to society.  Funeral workers are the classic example of such a profession given that their contact with the deceased (who often die in violent or vile ways) conveys a sense of “death pollution” on them.  Sarah notes that in pagan times, funeral workers were required to live outside of the city walls and would only be allowed into the city under the cover of dark to retrieve bodies.  We discuss several of the other traditions associated with death at the time, including the preference for cremation over inhumation (i.e., burial).

With the rise of Emperor Constantine (and his co-Emperor Licinius in the East), things begin to change.  The Edict of Milan puts Christianity on an equal footing as pagan religions, and soon thereafter the Church begins to see a flood of state financial support.  Being a bishop now conveys more political and economic power in the Empire, and with it come changes in how the funeral industry operates.  Sarah discusses how stronger patron-client relationships between bishops and funeral workers emerge, and how these funeral workers were often employed as personal “gangs” or “para-militaries” for the Church hierarchs.  Some of the stories are incredible!  Along the way, we also are given a sense for who is all involved in the funeral process, including paid mourners.  Sarah teaches Tony a number of very cool Latin words.  Prof. Bond also talks about the Cult of the Saints, and how the desire by wealthy people to be buried near a Christian saint, and the general lack of burial space (a scarce commodity), led to a great deal of corruption.  Tony, ever the political economists, points out that this is an excellent example of rent-seeking behavior wherein a small group with coercive power controls access to a scarce resource and can extract all sorts of additional income and favors in exchange for that access.

Dr. Bond concludes our podcast with her reflections on what the study of the death industry and other “disreputable professions” in Late Antiquity can teach us about our current conditions.  While the institutions of funeral services have changed over time, she notes that we still have certain cultural visions about people who provide these valuable services to society.  Tell your friends about this truly fascinating discussion as it has valuted upwards to become one of Tony’s favorite podcasts over the course of 170 other interviews.  Please connect with us via our Facebook Fan Page for regular updates.  Recorded: October 3, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Sarah Bond’s webpage at Marquette University.

RELATED PODCASTS

Jim Papandrea on the Church Fathers and Patristic Exegisis.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part I.

Brian O’Neel on Saint Who?

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/sarah-bond-on-the-church-and-funerals-in-late-antiquity/feed 2 http://www.researchonreligion.org/social-issues/poverty-development/art-carden-on-christian-ethics-charity-and-economics http://www.researchonreligion.org/social-issues/poverty-development/art-carden-on-christian-ethics-charity-and-economics#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:00:15 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=2102 How does a Christian economist approach the religious charge of helping one’s neighbor?  We talk with Art Carden, assistant professor of economics at Samford University and a senior research fellow at the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics, about the relationship between Christian ethics, economic growth, and the best way to help one’s neighbor.  The podcast starts out with a dose of good news in these troubling times, and we try to figure out why the past two centuries have been truly unique in human history.  Art reveals some of the basic institutions that have arisen to help promote a phenomenal growth in living standards.  These institutions include private property rights, honest government, competitive markets and free trade.  But economic growth is more than just “getting the institutions right.”  Prof. Carden points out that it is also about “getting the rhetoric right.”  We delve into this topic by looking at how seemingly well-intentioned policies often have unintended consequences.  This discussion is peppered with a number of different examples including laws against price gouging during a disaster, minimum wage laws, donating clothing to earthquake victims, and even holding toy and food drives at church.  Prof. Carden then discusses the work he is doing with the Institute of Faith, Work and Economics in trying to help theologians and other Christians gain a better understanding of basic economics, and how this might help them achieve their goals of alleviating the plight of the suffering.  He ends on an optimistic note about these efforts with a thankful nod to the internet and podcast series like this one.  Recorded: October 29, 2012.  (It should be noted that several of the predictions about anti-gouging laws that we made in the run-up to Hurricane Sandy have turned out to be true in its aftermath, including shortages of gasoline and other essential supplies.)

Related Links

Art Carden’s personal website.

Institute for Faith, Work and Economics.

“Ruining Christmas: An Economist’s Guide,” by Art Carden on Forbes.com.

Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, by Peter Diamandis and Peter Kotler.

The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves, by Matt Ridley.

A Conflict of Visions, by Thomas Sowell.

When Helping Hurts: Hww to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.

Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (and How to Reverse It), by Robert Lupton.

The Cultural and Political Economy of Recovery: Social Learning in a Post-Disaster Environment, by Emily Chamlee-Wright.

RELATED LINKS

Robert Sirico on Markets, Morality, Faith, and Freedom.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/social-issues/poverty-development/art-carden-on-christian-ethics-charity-and-economics/feed 5 http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/philip-jenkins-on-global-christianity http://www.researchonreligion.org/historical-topics/philip-jenkins-on-global-christianity#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:00:54 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=249 In a conversation that covers two millenia of Christian history and every region of the world, noted historian Philip Jenkins — the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of the Humanities at the Pennsylvania State University and Distinguished Senior Fellow at Baylor University’s Institute for Study of Religion — talks about the ever-changing nature of Christianity.  Our discussion begins with a reminder that a strong understanding of history is essential for understanding the contemporary religious world.  Contrary to the popular notion that Christianity is a European faith, Jenkins reveals that this religious tradition had an extensive geographic reach through its inception up until the 13th century.  The podcast then turns attention to how Christianity has been growing and changing in the “global South,” which includes Africa, Asia and Latin America.  We see how Pentecostal and charismatic forms of Christianity tend to predominate in these regions and discuss how Christians on these continents view The Bible.  We end our discussion with some speculation on how religion in the “global South” may be influencing Christian beliefs and practices in Europe and North America.  Prof. Jenkins also reveals his three favorite Western movies.  Recorded: July 15, 2010.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Jenkin’s website at Baylor University.

Prof. Jenkin’s website at Penn State University.

The Jesus Wars: How Four Patriarchs, Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians Would Believe for the Next 1500 Years by Philip Jenkins.

The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia — And How It Died by Philip Jenkins.

The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South by Philip Jenkins.

The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Philip Jenkins.

The Future Church: How Ten Trends Are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church by John Allen.

Wikipedia page on fastest growing religion referenced in podcast.