Sacred Markets, Sacred Canopies

This text provides a structured exchange on the controversy over "pluralistic" or "market" theories of religion, written by the main contributors to this literature. There has been increasing interest in the application of economic concepts to the study of other aspects of human behaviour.

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Can individual decisions concerning whether or where to attend church, to contribute time or money to religious organizations, or to forgo certain activities be explained as a special case of economic theory? In Sacred Markets, Sacred Canopies, Ted G. Jelen brings together the leading scholars in the sociology of religion to debate market theories of religion. As the contributors examine whether or not religious choices can be understood as responding to the same laws of supply and demand as other forms of consumer behavior, they bring out many of the issues, controversies, and concerns surrounding this innovative theory. The result is a concise source for the arguments, evidence, and criticism of the market model of religious economies—a perfect starting point for students and scholars approaching this set of problems.