Faithonomics: Religion and the Free Market (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780190627690)

Faithonomics uses economic theory to provide a new and unorthodox view of religion in today's world. Drawing on state-of-the-art research and on case studies from around the globe, this book shows that religion should be analysed as a market similar to markets for other goods and services, like bottled water or haircuts.

Faithonomics is about today's religious markets, but in sweeping detours through the histories of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, Brekke shows us the religious markets of the past, although these were sometimes heavily regulated by states. He argues that government 'control' over religious markets is often the cause of unforeseen and negative consequences. Many of today's problems related to religion, like religious terrorism or rent-seeking by religious political parties, are easier to understand if we think like economists. Religious markets work best when they are relatively free. Religious organizations should be free to sell their products without unnecessary restrictions, but we have no good reason to grant them privileges in the form of subsidies or tax-breaks.

Author: Torkel Brekke
ISBN-10: 0190627697
ISBN-13: 9780190627690
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Language: English
Published: 10/15/2016
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.80w x 1.10d

Review Citation(s):
Foreword 08/25/2016
Choice 03/01/2017