Faithonomics

Faithonomics uses economic theory to provide a new and unorthodox view of religion in today’s world. 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. Torkel Brekke looks at today’s religious marketplace and at the religious markets of the past, through sweeping histories of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, to show that heavy regulation of religious choice by states has often caused unforeseen and negative consequences. Drawing on ground-breaking research and case studies from around the globe, Faithonomics argues that religion should be treated exactly like any other commodity that can be bought and sold, like bottled water or haircuts, and that deregulation of the religious marketplace will ultimately foster more harmonious societies.