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We are still on a break.  In the meantime, enjoy one of Tony’s favorite interviews from the past. Why have many women in the Middle East resorted to increasingly conservative modes of dress in recent decades?  And what happens after a political regime rapidly collapses leaving society in near total chaos as happened in Iraq […]

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Why have women in the Middle East resorted to more conservative forms of dress in recent decades? And what happens when social order breaks down in Iraq following the US invasion in 2003? These two questions, along with an analysis of the rise of ISIS, are answered by Dr. David Patel of Brandeis University. He connects these threads via a political economy approach to religious institutions and behavior by showing how signaling and common knowledge are important in coordinating society, and how religious leaders may play a role in enhancing such coordination. David explains how and why Shiites were more successful in building social networks in Iraq following the collapse of the Hussein regime as compared to their Sunni counterparts, and what ISIS has been doing in recent years to account for its success.

Check out our archive for more great episodes on Islam and other topics!

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Adam Smith, Friedrich Hayek, and recent Nobel Laureate Vernon Smith are known for their deep thinking into the world of economics. But do these economic scholars have anything to say about the nature and social role of religion? Prof. Bob Subrick of James Madison University says “Yes!” and explains how each of these thinkers gives us insight into the role of religion and religious institutions in society. We take an intellectual tour through the economics of religion and come out all the better for it!

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