Header image: Architectural widgetsSociology at Duke
Navigation bar: People









  
 

Publications [#255586] of Mark Chaves

Publications

  1. Chaves Mark, , Regulation, Pluralism, and Religious Market Structure: Explaining Religion's Vitality, Rationality and Society, vol. 4 no. 3 (1992), pp. 272-290, SAGE Publications [doi]
    (last updated on 2024/03/27)

    Abstract:
    At the macro level, the economics of religion implies that religion will be more vibrant where it is less regulated and hence more competitive. Recent attempts to support this hypothesis are weakened by the use of religious pluralism as a proxy measure for the extent to which the religious market is subsidized or regulated. This article extends the analysis of religious market structure by measuring directly the regulation of religious markets in 18 Western democracies. The analysis provides strong support for the hypothesized connection between religious competitiveness and vitality. The results show that (a) the relationship between subsidized religion and religious participation holds in both Protestant and Catholic countries and (b) its explanatory power is far superior to that of religious pluralism alone. However, certain features of the results suggest that the “economics of religion” should be supplemented with noneconomic variables to achieve adequate sociological explanation. © 1992, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.


People Graduate Program Undergraduate Program Resources Home Duke University Home