Arbeitspapier

Religion and Growth

We use the elements of a macroeconomic production function – physical capital, human capital, labor, and technology – together with standard growth models to frame the role of religion in economic growth. Unifying a growing literature, we argue that religion can enhance or impinge upon economic growth through all four elements because it shapes individual preferences, societal norms, and institutions. Religion affects physical capital accumulation by influencing thrift and financial development. It affects human capital through both religious and secular education. It affects population and labor by influencing work effort, fertility, and the demographic transition. And it affects total factor productivity by constraining or unleashing technological change and through rituals, legal institutions, political economy, and conflict. Synthesizing a disjoint literature in this way opens many interesting directions for future research.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: Discussion Paper ; No. 433

Classification
Wirtschaft
Cultural Economics: Religion
Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity: General
Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: General, International, or Comparative
Education and Economic Development
Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
Subject
religion
growth
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
preferences
norms
institutions
capital
saving
financial development
human capital
education
population
labor
demography
fertility
total factor productivity
technological change
rituals
political economy
conflict

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Becker, Sascha O.
Rubin, Jared
Woessmann, Ludger
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Collaborative Research Center Transregio 190 - Rationality and Competition
(where)
München und Berlin
(when)
2023

Handle
Last update
20.09.2024, 8:25 AM CEST

Data provider

This object is provided by:
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.

Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Becker, Sascha O.
  • Rubin, Jared
  • Woessmann, Ludger
  • Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Collaborative Research Center Transregio 190 - Rationality and Competition

Time of origin

  • 2023

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