Economics of religion. An Introduction

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Anne Koch
• Subject Area: Religious Studies and Jewish Studies
• Term: from 2014 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 264541717

During the last decades the examination of culture with economic models gained importance as well as economy has been realized in its cultural embeddedness. This volume is the first introduction to economics of religion as subdiscipline in cultural economics of religion. To realize this aim it develops a systematic approach for the field of religion and economics. A base distinction is that between the analysis of culture and religion with economic models and a critical investigation into those economic theories that tend to be highly normative in their anthropology and theory of society. The book sets out with a historical survey of classics in the field as for example Max Webers famous Protestantism thesis. This is followed by main theories as rational choice economics ofreligion, symbolic economics by Pierre Bourdieu, behavioural economics, new institutional economics and others. Another chapter evolves a cultural economics of religion on the base of the web of cultural activities producing, distributing and consuming. The normative aspect of economics is elaborated in a chapter on the religion ofthe market, management and leadership literature and religious economics with an in-depths-example of Islamic economics (Islamic banking, pop cultural Islamic consumption etc.). Since some decades neoliberalism is the most influential force forming institutions also religious institutions in most (post)industrialized countries worldwide. With many examples the book illustrates how this affects consumption behaviour and the economization of religion and how economic change and crisis interlink with religious change. The volume seeks for readers in cultural study of religion, economic sociology, economics of anthropology, history and all those who want to better understand how present economics affectcultural especially religious institutions.

• DFG Programme: Publication Grants