Religion is not a particularly popular field for economic study, as many academics prefer to separate the sacred and the secular. The study of religion ostensibly concerns emotional decision-making rooted in faith. Economics studies rational decision-making in the material world. But recent economic research into religion should provoke interest among religious and academic communities alike.
Despite secularization in the West, religious faith continues to grow in global significance. In 2012 the Pew Global Religious Landscape…