Religious Organizations

35 Pages Posted: 8 Jun 2010

See all articles by Gilat Levy

Gilat Levy

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Department of Economics

Ronny Razin

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE)

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Date Written: June 7, 2010

Abstract

We propose a model of religious organizations which relies on the ability of such organizations and personal utility shocks. We show how religious organizations arise endogenously and characterize their features. Specifically, we find that members of the religious organization share similar beliefs and are more likely to cooperate with one another in social interactions. We identify a "spiritual" as well as a "material" payoff for members of the religious organization. Our results explain and shed light on empirical phenomena such as the effects of secularization and economic development on religious beliefs and participation, the relation between the size of the religion and the intensity of its members’ beliefs, religious segregation and religious conflicts.

Keywords: Economics of Religion, Religion, Organizations, Beliefs

JEL Classification: L30, D71

Suggested Citation

Levy, Gilat and Razin, Ronny, Religious Organizations (June 7, 2010). FEEM Working Paper No. 53.2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1621533 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1621533

Gilat Levy

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Department of Economics ( email )

Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom
+44 20 7955 6652 (Phone)

Ronny Razin (Contact Author)

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) ( email )

Houghton Street
London, WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom

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