Sommersemester 2021 (084288)
Dr. Esther Sahle
Lektürekurs (084288): The ‚New Economics of Religion‘: Faith and economic development from the Middle Ages to the 19th century
Di 10-12, Beginn 13.04.2021
‘Religion has been a tremendous force throughout history, in all corners of the globe’ (Iyer 2016). As such, it affected all areas human existence, and religion’s impact on historical economic development is currently one of the hottest debates in Economic History. Based on articles and books on the ‘New Economics of Religion’, this class discusses the economic factors influencing religious adoption and religious change on the one hand, and the impact religion and religious change have had on historical economic development from the late Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. Central themes include the role of religion for human capital development, political conflict, and trade. By focusing on economic aspects of religion, the class invites history students to study one of the most important aspects of (pre)modern societies from a new perspective.
In englischer Sprache/ in English.
Introductory reading:
Becker, Sascha O., Jared Rubin, and Ludger Woessmann. "Religion in economic history: a survey." (2020).
Iyer, Sriya. "The new economics of religion." Journal of Economic Literature 54.2 (2016): 395-441.