The divine economy How religions compete for wealth, power, and people

Religions are business platforms that recruit members, raise funds, distribute benefits, and motivate adherents by "facilitat relationships that could not form or could not function effectively in the platforms' absence," according to this sprawling study. Seabright (The War of the Sexes), a professor of economics at the University of Toulouse, contends that seemingly impractical beliefs and rituals make sense when religion is viewed as a platform: hyperspecific feast day practices and other rituals might seem opaque to outsiders (and thus no great draw for potential "recruits"), but they help adherents foster relationships with one another "on the strength of that shared performance." Seabright investigates why religious movements have emerged in varied forms across history; the ways in which religions draw "time, energy, and money" from willing participants; and how they use and abuse their power in political and social realms (he takes an especially hard look at the cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church). Though Seabright draws plenty of insightful and surprising links between religious belief, community, and business, he sometimes lapses into oversimplifications and weakens his case by failing to meaningfully cite religious texts themselves. Still, scholars of religion and economics will find plenty to chew on. (May)

One way to understand the power and influence of religions and their affiliations is through an economic lens. Economist Seabright (Toulouse Sch. of Economics; The Company of Strangers) discusses religions as businesses--platforms drawing together interconnected communities of people with different needs. His specific interest is in how religions function and derive and use their power; he asserts that sometimes these organizations abuse their power, especially when there's a link to politics. The book draws insights from such disciplines as biology, anthropology, psychology, and history. It's academic in tone and presentation and dense, which may make this work a challenging read for general readers. It includes more than 40 pages of endnotes and 40 pages of bibliography. VERDICT A helpful title that frames religions as a business. Graduate students, scholars, and readers with a solid religious education will value this title the most.--John Jaeger