Author: Robert Burton Ekelund
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226200027
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 284
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Book Description
Using basic concepts of economic theory, the authors explain the origin and subsequent spread of Roman Christianity, showing first how the standard concepts of risk, cost and benefit can account for the demand for religion.
Author: Robert B. Ekelund, Jr.
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262262622
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 367
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Book Description
Economics can help us understand the evolution and development of religion, from the market penetration of the Reformation to an exploration of today's hot-button issues including evolution and gay marriage. This startlingly original (and sure to be controversial) account of the evolution of Christianity shows that the economics of religion has little to do with counting the money in the collection basket and much to do with understanding the background of today's religious and political divisions. Since religion is a set of organized beliefs, and a church is an organized body of worshippers, it's natural to use a science that seeks to explain the behavior of organizations—economics—to understand the development of organized religion. The Marketplace of Christianity applies the tools of economic theory to illuminate the emergence of Protestantism in the sixteenth century and to examine contemporary religion-influenced issues, including evolution and gay marriage. The Protestant Reformation, the authors argue, can be seen as a successful penetration of a religious market dominated by a monopoly firm—the Catholic Church. The Ninety-five Theses nailed to the church door in Wittenberg by Martin Luther raised the level of competition within Christianity to a breaking point. The Counter-Reformation, the Catholic reaction, continued the competitive process, which came to include "product differentiation" in the form of doctrinal and organizational innovation. Economic theory shows us how Christianity evolved to satisfy the changing demands of consumers—worshippers. The authors of The Marketplace of Christianity avoid value judgments about religion. They take preferences for religion as given and analyze its observable effects on society and the individual. They provide the reader with clear and nontechnical background information on economics and the economics of religion before focusing on the Reformation and its aftermath. Their analysis of contemporary hot-button issues—science vs. religion, liberal vs. conservative, clerical celibacy, women and gay clergy, gay marriage—offers a vivid illustration of the potential of economic analysis to contribute to our understanding of religion.
Author: Roman A. Montero
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 153260792X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 139
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Book Description
All Things in Common gets behind the "communism of the apostles" passages in Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-37, using the anthropological categories of "social relationship" espoused by David Graeber and other anthropologists. Looking at sources ranging from the Qumran scrolls to the North African apologist Tertullian to the Roman satirist Lucian, All Things in Common reconstructs the economic practices of the early Christians and argues that what is described in Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-37 is a long-term, widespread set of practices that were taken seriously by the early Christians, and that differentiated them significantly from the wider world. This book takes into account Judean and Hellenistic parallels to the early Christian community of goods, as well as the socioeconomic context from which it came, and traces its origins back to the very teachings of Jesus. This book will be of interest to anyone interested in Christian history, and especially the socioeconomic aspects of early Christianity, as well as anyone interested in Christian ethics and New Testament studies. It would also be of interest to anyone interested in possible alternatives to the ideology of capitalism.
Author: Victor V. Claar
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830899901
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 261
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Book Description
Unemployment. Environmental damage. Poverty. Economists Victor Claar and Robin Klay critically engage mainstream economic theory and policy recommendations to provide guidance for faithfully and responsibly addressing these and other important economic issues. Affirming that a just and prosperous society depends for its continued success on maintaining the right balance of power among three principal spheres--democratic governments, market-organized economies, and strong moral and cultural institutions--Claar and Klay demonstrate how Christian principles and values guide and undergird a flourishing and just economy. This text is for use in any course needing a survey of the principles of economics.
Author: Walter Scheidel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521780535
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 17
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Book Description
In this, the first comprehensive survey of the economies of classical antiquity, twenty-eight chapters summarise the current state of scholarship in their specialised fields and sketch new directions for research. They reflect a new interest in economic growth in antiquity and develop new methods for measuring economic development, often combining textual and archaeological data that have previously been treated separately.
Author: David A Fiensy
Publisher: James Clarke & Company
ISBN: 0227902866
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 239
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Book Description
What does economics have to do with Christian origins? Why study such a connection? First of all, the New Testament makes many direct references to economic issues. But, second of all, the economy affects every other aspect of life (family, religion, community, work, health, and politics). How prosperous was first-century Galilee? To understand what it was like to live in a society, one must understand its economy. The study of the economy includes not only the goods and services of the society but also human labor and its control. The study must also take into account how fair the economy was to each family. Those involved in the quest for the historical Jesus have discovered that the ancient economy is a major point of dispute among various interpreters. Was the early Jesus movement a socioeconomic protest? Or was it primarily a religious reform? These two approaches understand Jesus in remarkably different ways. This volume seeks to guide readers through some of the most controversial issues raised inthe last twenty years on this important topic.
Author: Joerg Ruepke
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691211558
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 572
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Book Description
From one of the world's leading authorities on the subject, an innovative and comprehensive account of religion in the ancient Roman and Mediterranean world In this ambitious and authoritative book, Jörg Rüpke provides a comprehensive and strikingly original narrative history of ancient Roman and Mediterranean religion over more than a millennium—from the late Bronze Age through the Roman imperial period and up to late antiquity. While focused primarily on the city of Rome, Pantheon fully integrates the many religious traditions found in the Mediterranean world, including Judaism and Christianity. This generously illustrated book is also distinguished by its unique emphasis on lived religion, a perspective that stresses how individuals’ experiences and practices transform religion into something different from its official form. The result is a radically new picture of Roman religion and of a crucial period in Western religion—one that influenced Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and even the modern idea of religion itself.
Author: Thomas R. Blanton IV
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 1506406041
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 473
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Book Description
The social context of Paul’s mission and congregations has been the study of intense investigation for decades, but only in recent years have questions of economic realities and the relationship between rich and poor come to the forefront. In Paul and Economics, leading scholars address a variety of topics in contemporary discussion, including an overview of the Roman economy; the economic profile of Paul and of his communities, and stratification within them; architectural considerations regarding where they met; food and drink; idol meat and the Lord’s Supper; material conditions of urban poverty; patronage; slavery; travel; gender and status; the collection for Jerusalem; and the role of Marxist theory and the question of political economy in Paul scholarship.
Author: Walter Scheidel
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521898226
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 459
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Book Description
Thanks to its exceptional size and duration, the Roman Empire offers one of the best opportunities to study economic development in the context of an agrarian world empire. This volume, which is organised thematically, provides a sophisticated introduction to and assessment of all aspects of its economic life.
Author: Rachel M. McCleary
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 0195390040
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 415
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Book Description
In this Handbook, leading scholars demonstrate the application of the economics of religion approach to topics on human capital, the state regulation of religion, economic aspects of religion, and how religious markets function. The chapters also provide a discussion of new data sets and methods of measuring religious participation and beliefs.
